What if an astronaut goes crazy right in space?

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Astronauts are always at risk of losing motivation, which jeopardizes the success of the entire mission. To protect astronauts from negative consequences is suggested that their sleep and wake cycles be closely monitored.

On September 16, 2021, SpaceX sent ordinary people on space travel without years of training. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and his satellites have been in near-Earth space for three days and have already returned to Earth. There are no details regarding what they did during the mission, but space reporter Miriam Kramer recently revealed an interesting fact on the Axios podcast.

It turns out that among the equipment sent along with the tourists were protective equipment and medicines for “violent passengers.” NASA Aerospace Agency and SpaceX are well aware that people can suddenly have a panic attack and harm themselves and others during the flight. In this case, other crew members have the right to tie them about with clasps and inject a sedative. Such measures were envisaged in 2001 and are still in use.

Safety equipment in space

The means against violent space tourists were discussed in the scientific publication Futurism. During the How It Happened podcast, Miriam Kramer said that members of spaceships must always be prepared for the worst of circumstances. In some cases, one or more astronauts can become dangerous to themselves or others. There are always anti-anxiety zippers on board to appease them, she said.

According to The Associated Press, NASA pondered ways to tame the violent astronauts in 2001. Before the flight, members of each mission are instructed that, in case of danger, they have the right to bandage the wrists and ankles of violent colleagues with duct tape and inject them with a tranquilizer. Also, the instructions say that you need to talk with a colleague during dressing and explain. That all these measures are necessary for his safety.

It sounds terrible, but in fact, the likelihood of such an occurrence is minimal. Before flying, NASA astronauts undergo a thorough medical examination – in addition to their physical condition, doctors also check their mental health. The same inspection was recently carried out by the crew of the civilian mission Inspiration4, which SpaceX organized. What were the results of their testing is unknown, but nothing terrible happened during the flight. According to Chris Sembroski, one of the mission members, it is excellent to have the equipment to calm their colleagues. But the likelihood of a nervous breakdown and panic on board is less than 1%.

Skylab strike

In the entire history of space flights, there have been no severe conflicts between astronauts. Unless, in 1973, astronauts from the Skylab orbital station, due to extreme fatigue, suddenly stopped working and answered questions from the mission control center. They complained about the overload, but the management refused to provide them with a more lenient work schedule. Having arranged a quiet riot, they sat down at the windows and calmly looked at the cosmic views. The conflict between the astronauts and the leadership arose in half of the 84-day mission. Therefore, since then, long flights in space have been considered dangerous for the human psyche.

The danger of space flight

Based on this, NASA, SpaceX, and other aerospace organizations should always take care of the psychological state of astronauts. Future travelers to Mars will require special attention. Isolation affects the human psyche the most – boredom and monotony over time lead to burnout. Astronauts are always at risk of losing motivation, which jeopardizes the success of the entire mission. To protect astronauts from negative consequences is suggested that their sleep and wake cycles be closely monitored. You also need to provide astronauts with adequate nutrition. Ideally, space tourists and explorers should be introverted and not require constant contact with people. It is also essential to guarantee that the space crew members are well compatible with each other.

Inspiration4 Crew Returned to Earth

We can only hope that the emotional state of the crew members of the Inspiration4 mission is all right. On the night of September 19, the Crew Dragon passenger capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Thanks to the heat shield, the spaceship withstood heating without any problems, successfully passed through the Earth’s atmosphere. After splashdown, a ship headed for the capsule, which helped space tourists to get out. After that, sent to the spaceport at Cape Canaveral.

Businessman Jared Isaacman shared that they were on a fantastic journey. But again, let me remind you that there are no exciting details about the mission results yet.