As we pursue bolder initiatives in space, and as China moves towards launching a permanently manned space station, gaining a clearer understanding of the impact of long-term space travel becomes essential to maintain the well-being of astronauts. Serious consideration has been given to human travel beyond low Earth orbit—where the International Space Station resides—and beyond the moon, possibly to Mars or the moons of Jupiter. Recently, a booklet titled “Human Performance in Space: Advancing Astronautics Research in China” has been produced by Science/AAAS Custom Publishing office (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6203/1522.4.summary?rss=1). A number of papers by researchers from the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IPCAS) are included in this booklet. These papers were sponsored by the National Program on Key Basic Research Projects of China (973 Program).

Since 2011, researchers from the Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science IPCAS have been invited to join a discussion on the subtopic “Characteristics of human decision-making and the related mechanism under the space complex and emergency condition” under the 973 Program. Professor LI Shu is the principal investigator of this subtopic. After four years of exploration, several accomplishments have emerged. Four papers by Professors ZHANG Kan, JIANG Yi, LI Yongjuan, LI Shu, and their colleagues, which respectively explore attention, visual sense, implicit cognitive process, and risky decision making, have been accepted for publication in the aforementioned booklet. The papers discuss the future direction of the psychological and behavioral studies on astronauts who are spending a longtime in space, providing the reader with a taste of what future space exploration might look like. As scientists learn about the effects on the body and mind, they are applying their knowledge to modify equipment, improve astronaut training, and fine-tune the selection process for astronauts. Other scientists and engineers around the world will benefit, and can apply the new information to space programs in their own countries.

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Appendix: publication list 

Du, F., Ge, Y., Qu, W., Sun., X., Wu, J., Zhang, K., & Zhang, L. (2014).Attention, peri-personal perception, and visual displays in space.In Human Performance in Space: Advancing Astronautics Research in China (pp. 4-5). Washington, DC: Science/AAAS. 

Wang, Y., Zhou, W., & Jiang, Y. (2014).Human perception with gravity’s imprint.In Human Performance in Space: Advancing Astronautics Research in China (pp. 5-6). Washington, DC: Science/AAAS. 

Xu, Y., Li, Y., Li, S., & Du, F. (2014). Effects of automatic processes on safety performance: Implications for astronauts. In Human Performance in Space: Advancing Astronautics Research in China (pp. 24-25). Washington, DC: Science/AAAS.