NASA Looks For More Than Just Brains And Brawn In Mars Astronauts

KEY POINTS

New studies suggest that for long-term space missions, social skills like conscientiousness may be the most important factor for candidates
NASA is eyeing the 2030s for a potentially years-long mission to put human beings on Mars for the first time
A trial expedition here on Earth in Oman suggested that familiarity between crew members was another important factor

New statements from NASA suggest that the first crew to reach Mars will be selected not only for intelligence and physical fitness, but also on teamwork and social skills.

Space programs are looking at the 2030s to put human beings on the "Red Planet." Depending on the position of the Earth and Mars, the crew could spend five years together, making pro-social behavior essential, according to a CNN report.

"Conscientiousness, an individual personality trait, can be thought of as a pooled team-resource," said Julia McMenamin, a doctoral student in psychology at Western University in Canada. "The more conscientiousness a team is, the better they will likely be at accomplishing tasks."

McMenamin published a study on the subject of astrobiology. She defines conscientiousness as “wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.” People who are very conscientious are more likely to put out their full effort even when working in a team. The trait was rated as more important to positive group outcomes than honesty, humility, emotionality, extroversion, openness and agreeableness.

Researchers called the trait “non-negotiable” in a potential crewmember.

A study in Nature Geoscience casts doubt on a dominant theory that Mars once had a warm, wet climate with abundant liquid water that sculpted the landscape EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY / HO

Even a decade before a mission to Mars would be practical, space programs are experimenting to identify potential problems. McMenamin got her data from a 2018 excursion to Oman, a decent allegory for the Martian landscape here on Earth. The experience of those five "astronauts" living together for four weeks helped highlight the importance of familiarity for McMenamin.

“How familiar team members are with one another has been shown to help teams work better together likely because it provides team members with knowledge about each other and helps them communicate better and more efficiently," she told CNN.

A four-week trial on Earth with multiple support teams is a far cry from the challenges of a true mission to Mars, however. McMenamin says that interpersonal difficulties often emerge only after months or years of interaction. That risk only makes it all the more important that crew members are familiar with each other and have the tools to move past challenges.

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