Heterogeneous vs Homogeneous Teams in Mars Settlement Missions

Missions to Mars will be long and complex, making human dynamics and performance difficult and different. Diverse (heterogeneous) teams possess the skills and knowledge needed for innovation and also flexibility in solving problems but at the same it presents a challenge of not being able to have proper channels of communication and cultural integration. On the other hand, uniform (homogeneous) teams may have direct communication channels that may result in group thinking and limited problem-solving skills. This research employs ABM to model Mars mission situations and explore the effectiveness of heterogeneous and homogeneous teams. Stress, health, performance, and cultural adjustment are measured for a 500-day working period. Stress was higher among the heterogeneous teams than the homogeneous one, however, the two types of teams showed comparable levels of performance indicating that it is possible for the diverse teams to harness strengths of diverse membership. Both teams’ significant decline in health deonstrates the challenges involved with long-term space missions. These results underscore the necessity to enhance the cohesiveness of the team and the ways of dealing with stress during future Mars expeditions. Although this study only used a limited set of metrics, future research should incorporate other factors such as cognition, resources, and fatigue. Thus, the findings of this approach will assist in the formulation of better crew selection, crew training, and support systems for long-duration space missions.