THEMES IN THE INTERVIEWS OF VETERAN COSMONAUTS

摘要

A research project initiated in 2006 is collecting questionnaire, interview, and computerized social perception data from veteran Russian cosmonauts who are no longer active in the space program. With the benefit of time to reflect upon their experiences, leisure to talk about them, and freedom from organizational demands and expectations, the cosmonauts are interviewed about their recollections, feelings, judgments, and suggestions concerning training, relations among crewmembers and with ground control, multinational crews, long-duration missions, the interaction between their work commitments and their family relationships, and their adjustment before, during, and after spaceflight. The paper will present some of the major themes appearing in the interview protocols of the first group of participants.