The isolation experiment, a
mock Mars mission, complete with research work and lava-field expeditions in
simulated spacesuits, has reached its half-way point. You might expect the rest
of the sojourn to be a downhill coast. However, as the crew settles into the
third month in its domed habitat on Mauna Loa, a certain concern looms large.
The psychological forecast is mixed with a chance of declining morale, increased
irritability and dwindling motivation.
To be sure, the dire predictions are not specific to this mission or crew,
which has got on remarkably well so far. They stem from the so-called
third-quarter phenomenon, a documented condition experienced by members of
isolated teams on long hauls in harsh places like the Antarctic. It occurs after
a crew has got used to (or simply endured) the rigours and stresses of a
mission’s early period, but when the end is not yet nigh.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/06/correspondents-diary
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/06/correspondents-diary
