NASA Gives UCF Grant to Study Astronauts’ Team Effectiveness for Deep Space Missions

NASA has awarded two UCF professors $900,000 to study cognitive issues such as memory and attention in astronauts on lengthy space assignments.

Stephen Fiore and Shawn Burke’s project is one of 27 selected from 18 institutions around the country, which will receive money from a $12 million pool over three years. The projects were selected because NASA is preparing to send astronauts on distant missions, including Mars.

Most of the studies selected will look at space travel’s impact on the human body, including visual impairment, bone and muscle loss, human performance, cardiovascular health, and sensory and motor adaptations, among other issues.