Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, who will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Ignis mission, participated in the first phase of a neurofeedback experiment designed to monitor and regulate brain activity under stress.
This initial test was conducted in Warsaw earlier this week.
The research, titled Lowering Stress Response During Isolation in Astronauts, is one of 13 experiments planned during the mission.
It will be carried out by both Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, another member of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew.
Led by Marcin Dornowski of the Academy of Physical Education and Sport in the Baltic city of Gdańsk, the project focuses on using electroencephalogram (EEG) neurofeedback to help astronauts manage stress.
The method trains participants to control their brainwaves through feedback-based exercises and games, such as one nicknamed "the flying carpet," which involves learning to influence brainwave activity via relaxation and concentration.
"All of the objectives were met, and the astronaut is fully prepared for flight," said Dornowski, who heads the medical section of a Gdańsk-based space research unit at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN).
Milena Lachowicz, a psychologist involved in the project, explained that the neurofeedback technique helps regulate brain activity and reduce anxiety by reinforcing desired brainwave patterns.
"It can improve memory and concentration, while also lowering stress and anxiety levels,” she said.
The team also plans to assess the effects of life on the ISS on astronauts’ stress, emotional responses, ability to meet basic needs, perform fine motor tasks and maintain psychomotor functions.
Psychological tests will be conducted before, during and after the mission.
In another key experiment during the Ignis mission, Polish scientists plan to study how the human mind copes with extreme space conditions.
The experiment, called "Astro Mental Health," will compare mental health data collected in space with findings from Earth-based simulations, helping researchers better understand how prolonged isolation and harsh conditions affect the human brain.
Meanwhile, a Polish-designed acoustic monitoring system will also be tested aboard the International Space Station as part of an experiment called Wireless Acoustics, officials have announced.
Uznański-Wiśniewski is part of the four-person Ax-4 crew, which also includes American commander Peggy Whitson, Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and Hungary's Kapu.
The mission, launched by the private aerospace firm Axiom Space, is scheduled to take off no earlier than May, though an end-of-May or early-June launch is more likely.
The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule, lifting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
They are expected to spend around 16 days on the ISS.
The Ignis mission marks Poland’s first scientific and technological mission to the ISS. It is the result of an agreement between Poland’s Ministry of Development and Technology and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) is coordinating preparations on behalf of the government.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier this year reaffirmed the country's space ambitions during a meeting with international astronauts in Warsaw.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, naukawpolsce.pl