The Right Stuff in the Right Place: Introducing the Four Pillars of Optimization That Support the Creative Potential of Astronauts During Human Spaceflight

Abstract

Human spaceflight requires a perfectly balanced system of personality traits, coined “the right stuff,” in the space environment, which is so “wrong” for life that human physiology begins to disintegrate. Several factors, including personal experiences, upbringing, and training, influence the motivation, coping, and other unique personality traits of astronauts, which differentiate them from the civilian population and make them perfectly suited to high functionality in extreme conditions. To evaluate the creative potential of astronauts in coping with such a hostile environment, we need to study their psychology as part of a perfectly balanced system that places mindsets in codependence with space and altered physiology.