Two experiments, with 17-day and 120-day isolation, were carried out within the frame of the Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station (SIRIUS) international project at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (Moscow, Russia). Manifestations of the “detachment” phenomenon in the crew – mission control center (MCC) communication previously identified in the Mars-500 project were confirmed in this study. As in the Mars-500 experiment, in the SIRIUS-19, the landing simulation in the halfway of isolation caused a temporary increase of crew communication with MCC. We also revealed several differences in the communication styles of male and female crew members. By the end of the experiment, there was a convergence of communication styles of all the SIRIUS crew members and also an increase in crew cohesion.

Usability and validity of a based on virtual reality (VR) psychological support program were tested in a 3-day dry immersion study with participation of female subjects. Test results advocate that VR can be beneficial for managing the psychophysiological reactions in the period of acute adaptation to dry immersion.

The aim of the study was to assess associations between dimensions of mental skills, psychological readiness and predictors of career longevity among current athletes. Mental skills dimensions were measured with the Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool (OMSAT). The psychological predictors of athletic career longevity were measured with the Athletic Coping Skills Scale-28 (the ACSI-28) producing scores for seven coping skills and with the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) which produced scores for confidence in competition. Overall, 253 current athletes (average age 22 years) of various competitive levels (classified to 5 groups according to the national sport classification system) participated in the study. The results showed that coping skills and confidence in competition positively associated with various range of mental skills dimensions. The competitive level was related to stress reactions, fear control, focusing, refocusing and imagery coping skills. The results suggest that some mental skills may came with experience, while the development of other mental skills may require interventions to reduce the likelihood of early termination of the professional career and achieve career longevity. The results also discussed in terms of a holistic perception of sports psychology and focuses not only on performance, but also on the well-being and sustainable development of the athletes.

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The article describes methods of non-verbal speech characteristics analysis used to determine psychophysiological state of female subjects under simulated microgravity conditions (“dry” immersion, DI), as well as the results of the study. A number of indicators of the acute period of adaptation to microgravity conditions was described. The acute adaptation period in female subjects began earlier (evening of the 1st day of DI) and ended faster than in male ones in previous studies (2nd day of DI). This was indicated by a decrease in the level of state anxiety (STAI, p < 0,05) and depression-dejection [Profile of Mood States (POMS), p < 0,05], as well as a decrease in pitch (p < 0,05) and voice intensity (p < 0,05). In addition, women, apparently, used the “freeze” coping strategy – the proportion of neutral facial expressions on the most intense days of the experiment was at maximum. The subjects in this experiment assessed their feelings and emotions better, giving more accurate answers in self-assessment questionnaires, but at the same time tried to look and sound as calm and confident as possible, controlling their expressions. Same trends in the subjects’ cognitive performance were identified as in similar experimental conditions earlier: the subjects’ psychophysiological excitement corresponded to better performance in sensorimotor tasks. The difference was in the speed of mathematical computation: women in the present study performed the computation faster on the same days when they made fewer pauses in speech, while in men in previous experiments this relationship was inverse.