Multicultural Human Factors Concerns aboard the International Space Station Alpha
As we enter the 21st century, we can expect an increase of international spaceflight missions made up of crew members from different cultures. This study assesses the potential effects of cultural and interpersonal communication factors on crew interaction and crew operations for multicultural spaceflight crews. During international missions, crew members from different countries will be living and working together within the confined and isolated quarters of their spacecraft. On many International Space Station Alpha missions, a crew will consist of Canadian, European, Japanese, and U.S. personnel. Mission duration can range from 90 to 180 days for International Space Station Alpha and approximately two years for a round-trip manned mission to Mars. Effective and efficient multicultural crew interaction and operations will assume a major role in flight safety and mission success. By means of a questionnaire and personal interviews, information was gathered, indicating cultural characteristics considered to be most relevant for future spacefarers from the various nations involved in future International Space Station Alpha missions.