18/06/2026 10:29 - Tecnologia
Astronautas colaborando en simulador espacial HERA de la NASA, pantallas con datos, ambiente tecnológico con iluminación azul, representando atención colectiva en misión a Marte
NASA has identified a critical factor that could determine the success or failure of future crewed missions to Mars: collective attention. The discovery emerged from simulations conducted at the HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) test space habitat located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The study, published in the journal Personnel Psychology and developed by researchers from Michigan State University, is the first to establish a direct connection between communication delays and team performance in space through this concept.
Collective attention occurs when people from different disciplines and locations focus their work on the same problem at the same time. It forms the foundation for solving problems in large, complex organizations composed of multiple distributed teams.
Dorothy R. Carter, associate professor of management at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University and lead researcher, explained: "Communication delays dramatically disrupt collective attention. We find it much harder to focus on the same thing at the same time when we cannot communicate in real time."
A crewed mission to Mars faces a unique challenge: communication delays can range between 4 and 24 minutes depending on the orbital position of the planets. This means real-time conversation is impossible.
This limitation complicates coordination between astronauts in space and the Mission Control Center on Earth, especially during emergency situations where every second counts.
| Intervention Area | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Identify strengths and weaknesses of each member to assign roles according to the situation |
| Clarity | Train teams to communicate simply and directly, without ambiguity |
| Connectivity | Establish shared leadership among distributed team members |
| Trust | Strengthen bonds between crew and mission control before liftoff |
| Protocols | Implement structured communication processes and post-mission analysis |
The research is part of Project FUSION (Facilitating Unified Systems of Interdependent Organizational Networks), an initiative with direct NASA support to understand and reduce the impact of communication delays between the Mission Control Center and space crews.
Carter emphasized: "NASA understood that the collaboration required for a long-duration mission, like sending a human team to Mars, goes far beyond the spacecraft crew members. Astronauts must continue collaborating with many people on Earth."
The study's findings apply not only to space exploration. According to Carter, these ideas help better understand how teams function over time and distance, offering a starting point to help them succeed in demanding and high-pressure environments, from medical teams to military operations and multinational corporations.
Source: Infobae | Michigan State University | Personnel Psychology | NASA
Alfredo S. Quiroga
