Who Stays Calm on Mars?

Who Stays Calm on Mars? Emotion Regulation and Stress in Simulated Mars Mission: a multilevel approach

Andrea C. Silva1, Golda Nguyen2, Dava Newman2, Andres Käosaar3

1Department of Statistics, University of Central Florida

2Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida

Abstract:

Long-distance space missions present unique psychological challenges, including elevated stress from isolation, confinement, and disrupted social dynamics. Understanding individual differences in emotional resilience is essential for crew selection and training. This study examined whether pre-mission emotion regulation abilities predict daily stress levels during simulated Mars missions. Data were collected from 56 participants across 17 crews stationed at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), who completed baseline measures of emotion regulation (DERS-18) and expressive flexibility (BEQ), followed by daily self-reports of stress throughout the mission. Using linear mixed-effects modeling, we accounted for repeated measures nested within participants. Results indicated that difficulties in emotion regulation were positively but not significantly associated with daily stress levels (β = 0.24, p = 0.42). Expressive flexibility demonstrated a marginal, non-significant trend toward higher daily stress (β = 3.45, p = 0.10). These findings suggest that neither pre-mission emotion dysregulation nor emotional expressivity significantly predicted daily stress in this analog environment. Although the hypothesized relationships were not supported, the results highlight substantial individual variability in stress responses during simulated space missions and underscore the importance of examining dynamic psychological processes in extreme environments. Findings have potential implications for refining psychological screening tools and inform future research examining additional cognitive, interpersonal, and physiological predictors of stress adaptation in long-distance spaceflight. 

Andrea C. Silva, Golda Nguyen, Dava Newman, Andres Käosaar. Who Stays Calm on Mars? Emotion Regulation and Stress in Simulated Mars Mission: a multilevel approach (August 2025) Poster presented at annual MIT Summer Research Program Research Showcase, Cambridge, MA