What would happen to human personality when living in such unfamiliar and isolating surrounds?
A team of ANU psychologists is set to find out. Defiance, detachment, disagreement — harmful emotions in any small group situation, but in outer space these feelings are particularly damaging and possibly life threatening. A team of ANU psychologists from the Faculty of Science is preparing to gather unique insights into the duress of space travel with a simulation of life on Mars to be staged in the Australian desert later this year. The way small groups of astronauts on space shuttles and stations might interact in the extreme, unfamiliar and isolating conditions of space travel will be closely scrutinised by (pictured, from left) Dr Steve Dawson, PhD student Mr Phill Krins, Dr Kate Reynolds and Dr Rachael Eggins. The team is preparing to record the interactions of participants of an expedition into the South Australian outback, that is being organised by the Mars Society of Australia. This will follow on from an initial study of participants in a similar planetary simulation in the
