NASA is initiating a review to determine
whether changes are required to how astronauts are psychologically analyzed throughout
their careers, space agency officials announced Wednesday.
A separate
review will also assess whether changes are needed to existing psychological
screening procedures for new astronauts.
The reviews
were prompted by the arrest of current NASA
astronaut Lisa Nowak earlier this week on charges of the attempted murder
of a romantic rival for the affections another astronaut.
The reviews
will address whether “any modifications would be advisable to ensure that
our astronauts have the level of psychological and medical care and attention
they need,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale.
The reviews,
Dale said, will address the questions of:
- When
should astronauts be required to undergo psychological screening?
- What
manner and how often during an astronauts career should they be evaluated?
- Were
there any indications from Nowak’s interaction with astronauts and
NASA employees that might have suggested something was wrong prior to
Monday’s arrest?
The review
will involve medical officers outside of NASA and will draw partly upon the
results of a study that has been ongoing for 20 years within the agency that
track the health of both active duty and retired astronauts, said Richard
Williams, NASA chief medical officer at the space agency’s Washington,
D.C. headquarters.
“All
aspects of medical care and behavioral health care, including potential long
term effect of spaceflight, will be of interest and will be addressed by the
review group,” Williams said.
Bob Cabana,
deputy director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said
psychological support is currently available to all astronauts and NASA
employees and dismissed suggestions that astronauts avoid seeking help because
it might negatively impact their careers.
“We
know if somebody needs help, there are services available and there’s no
stigma to it,” Cabana said. “It doesn’t prevent anybody from
future space flight assignments or anything else.”
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