Teams in isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments: Review and integration

Abstract

SummarySoon there will be a small but growing workforce beyond near‐Earth orbit, conducting explorations to asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Space teams will be subject to difficult working conditions, persistent dangers, and a wide range of challenging stressors. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other entities have sponsored research on teams in isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments such as the Antarctic, the Arctic, and dedicated space simulations because they represent a reasonable “analog” to the kind of working and living conditions in space. The aim of this integrative review is to compile and organize the ICE literature on the basis of concepts from the team effectiveness literature to identify what we know and, most importantly, what we need to know—how ICE team research needs to advance—to support the future workforce in space and in other extreme environments (e.g., polar, deep sea, and high‐altitude exploration). This effort helped us identify important findings and themes surrounding how team members cope with the extreme conditions. We conclude by discussing explanations for the persistence of gaps, providing recommendations, and offering directions for future research.