Chicago Council on Science and Technology, Society for Neuroscience Chicago Chapter, and Galway Arms present

C2ST Speakeasy: Mission to Mars–Team Composition

Imagine being confined to a space the size of small studio apartment, unable to leave, with three other people—for over two long years! This is far from the stuff of reality television, this is the what it will take for humans to get to Mars.

NASA and its international partners are planning to send humans to Mars in the 2030’s, less than twenty years from now. Mission to Mars will challenge the frontiers of human collaboration as the crew lives and works in an extreme environment. The crew of four will be confined to incredibly cramped quarters for two-and-a-half years. As the crew travels further into deep space, the extreme distance will result in significant communication delays with Earth. Complex feats such as space walks, landing, and launch from Mars will be executed by the small crew with unparalleled levels of autonomy from ground control. It’s estimated that once the crew reaches Mars, ground control will receive updates, errors, and information about emergencies with a 22-minute delay.

This small crew will need to work together as a team. They’ll need to rely on one another for social support, keep interpersonal conflicts manageable, coordinate seamlessly to execute complex tasks, and adapt to whatever comes their way.

How will NASA build a team that can excel in this extreme environment? Could you go on such a mission?

Dr. Suzanne Bell, a tenured professor of industrial and organizational psychology in the College of Science and Health at DePaul University, is currently funded by NASA to research how combinations of team members interact and perform in an extreme environment similar to that expected of deep space exploration. She and her colleagues collect data from teams living and working in a small habitat at Johnson Space Center and use computer simulation to model which combinations of team members are likely to excel on this extreme and incredible journey. Join us as Dr. Bell describes her research creating a predictive model of team composition for Mission to Mars. Bring your questions about Mission to Mars and composing teams in space and beyond; she will leave plenty of time for Q&A.

DETAILS: C2ST is pleased to announce a new location for its Speakeasy series, Galway Arms Irish Bar & Restaurant in Lincoln Park. Tuesday, June 12, Galway Arms Irish Bar & Restaurant, 2442 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60614. 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event will be held in the private room upstairs. Those under 21 are welcome
to attend this program. Delicious food and drink available for purchase, you can view Galway Arms’ menu here. Advanced registration requested. We ask that you arrive early to ensure seating, as we cannot reserve seats in this location. Questions? Contact Sasha Prokuda, C2ST director of programs and engagement, at aprokuda@c2st.org or 312-567-5838.