When astronauts fly into space on missions, they are supported by a large crew of specialists in control centers back on earth. They are in daily radio contact with each other, and this has the important operational purpose of continuing safe and effective execution of tasks on missions.

This radio communication does however also make up one of the relatively few interpersonal relationships astronauts have during missions, and so it can play a role in providing social and psychological support to astronauts, who are isolated and confined in a space station or a spacecraft. My work focuses on how support can be provided without sacrificing precision and operational value.

As a communication researcher, I analyze and develop interpersonal communication between astronauts in space and crew on the ground. In this session, I will show how communication can be both task efficient and personally supportive based on authentic radio communication between the International Space Station, ISS, and ground crews.

Dennis J. Frederiksen is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication and Psychology at Aalborg University. As a communication researcher, he analyzes and works with development of interpersonal communication between crew in space and people in mission control on the ground.