In space locomotion , every eventuality must be groom for : even the prospect of an astronaut have a psychological breakdown .
SpaceX launched its historicInspiration4 missionon Wednesday , pillory its all - civilian gang into broken - Earth field where they will circle around the planet onboard theResilienceCrew Dragon spacecraft for three days . According to Axios space diarist Miriam Kramer , the gang has been equipped with restraints and depressant in the rare event one of the non - professional astronauts has a breakdown in space .
“ They also have to prepare for risky - pillow slip scenarios like someone on the crew becoming a danger to themselves or others , ” Kramer state on instalment three of the Axios podcastHow it Happened : The Next Astronauts . “ There are zip ties and medicament on board in case somebody needs to be sedated . ”
Two of the civilian spaceman onboard the space vehicle — Hayley Arceneaux , a physician helper from the St Jude Children ’s Research Hospital , and Chris Sembroski , a data engineer and Air Force veteran — have also been specifically aim on how to deploy these restaining tools , consort toThe Atlantic .
Human space travel is n’t just physically demanding , being off - existence can be a psychological straining too . Sensory neediness , the constant threat of risk , cramped condition , and a whole alien environment can clearly put insistency on an cosmonaut ’s head . As such , professional astronauts civilise by land ' space agency undergopsychological preparation and testingas part of their preparation for space travel .
The Inspiration4 crew has had over six month of intense training and receive specialized psychological preparation , but this is importantly less than what professional astronauts receive at NASA . It can take up to two class totrain to be an spaceman , on top of the clock time it takes to get the relevant qualification and experience required .
However , even NASA ’s extremely trained master take similar precautions to SpaceX. Internal documents obtained by theAssociated Press(AP ) in 2007 showed that NASA has a detailed exercise set of written function that explain how to distribute with self-destructive or psychotic astronauts in distance . In this event , the crew must bind the spaceman ’s carpus and ankles with duct tape measure , then apply a bungee cable to tie them down . They are also advised to put in the mortal with tranquilizers if want be .
" peach with the patient while you are restraining him , " the instructions read , per AP . " Explain what you are doing and that you are using a simpleness to ensure that he is safe . "
All of this , however , is rigorously precautionary . Fortunately , the Inspiration4 crew seems to be confident that this safe-conduct wo n’t be call for .
" Nobody ’s gon na photograph that fashion , at least not that we ’ve seen to date , ” crewmember Sembroski narrate Kramer on the Axios podcast . “ This is literally just , ‘ OK , we have this equipment on add-in , well it ’s for that less than one per centum chance of somebody need a little bite of extra support just to keep the guard of the crew . ' ”
