Antarctica and space as psychosocial analogues

Abstract

Antarctic stations have for decades been used as research analogues of spacecraft, especially space stations such as Skylab, Mir, and the International Space Station. It is time to review this practice. True, the two environments generally share isolation, confinement, novelty, discomfort, danger, and remoteness. Assuming them to be analogues is attractive to both researchers and space agencies as an economy measure: research in space is expensive, complicated, and limited in research time, facilities, and subjects. Although research in Antarctica has some of the same problems, they are much less severe there; significant savings in effort, time, and money are possible. But analogues should not merely look similar, they should have similar effects. Is this true of Antarctica and space? Data from multi-year studies conducted in the two environments should compare both the stressful and adverse and healthful, positive effects of the two environments on human psychology in order to evaluate this question.