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Abstract. Our aim was to adapt a classical P3 method to assess the free cognitive capacity during spacecraft docking training in space. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measurement in space is limited by several conditions. Based on experience with our own EEG experiments on MIR and ISS, we decided to use dry electrodes and restricted the electrode placement to the forehead. We examined whether P3 can be reliably obtained under these conditions. Subjects had to perform a manually controlled docking task simultaneously with an acoustic monitory task. The P3 component was evoked by the acoustic stimuli of the secondary task. Twenty-six subjects participated in this study, situated in a space simulation on earth. After a familiarization session, they performed the docking tasks at three difficulty levels: low, medium, and difficult. In the secondary task, subjects had to discriminate between a low (750 Hz) and a high (1,000 Hz) tone, which differed in probability of 90% and 10%, respectively. The subjects had to count the high tone and after 10 relevant tones and had to give a voice command to a power supply configuration. P3 amplitude was largest and the latency shortest during the medium difficult task. A decision matrix based on differences between the relevant and irrelevant P3 was calculated for each subject and each task. The results suggest that P3 can be recorded during a complex manual control task and can be used to assess individual free cognitive capacity.

BACKGROUND: Voice analysis off ers an unobtrusive approach for psychological monitoring. We demonstrate the relationship between voice parameters and cognitive performance in: 1) a task with psychological test character, and 2) performance in an operational, mission-relevant task. The central methodological aim was to verify the usefulness of voice commands and counting in providing anchor values for the step-function model of voice pitch. METHODS: During a 22-yr period, 42 cosmonauts participated in the Russian space experiment " Pilot " , which was a hand-controlled docking maneuver. As reference the experiment included the cognitive task " Manometer. " This task was controlled through voice commands. These voice commands were stored and are the basis for the present analysis. RESULTS: Cosmonauts diff ered in their working style and respective performance during the Manometer task. Clustered groups can be assumed to represent diff erent eff ort. Importantly, these groups diff ered in the changes of voice pitch among mission phases and among task repetitions. However, there were no diff erences between these motivation groups and performance in the professional task. DISCUSSION: The diff ering eff ort is the eff ect of diff erent motivation of cosmonauts for experimental test tasks vs. mission-relevant professional tasks. Latter ones provide a more reliable chance to assess the real actual state and skills of a cosmonaut. Voice pitch measurement seems to be reliable and useful under space conditions for monitoring this volitional eff ort.

BACKGROUND: The experimental research PILOT on board the space stations aimed to assess cosmonauts expectable reliability in a mission relevant operation, the manual docking of Soyuz or Progress spacecrafts on the space stations Mir and International Space Station (ISS), respectively.METHOD: Therefore, a simulation of the docking of two space apparatuses was used for training and research. The methodological approach is described, taking into consideration the level of performance and the individual effort spent, the psychophysiological costs. In three decades altogether 32 cosmonauts took part.RESULTS: A significant increase of reliability was found from Mir (0.45 scores) to ISS missions (0.51). On ISS the reliability remained stable (0.50 0.1).DISCUSSION: Salnitskis model for the evaluation of operators reliability was further developed and tested, which turned out to be sensitive as well as robust enough for a practical application in this critical operational task.Johannes B, Bronnikov SV, Bubeev JA, Kotrovskaya TI, Shastlivtseva DV, Piechowski S, Hoermann H-J, Jordan J. Operators reliability during spacecraft docking training on board Mir and ISS. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(7):541549.