Space Psychology and Team Dynamics in Space

Teamwork and Leadership in Extreme Environments

Jan Schmutz's research focuses on teamwork, leadership, and adaptation in extreme and high-pressure environments. His work examines how teams learn, coordinate, and maintain performance when facing uncertainty, isolation, high workload, and rapidly changing conditions. A particular focus of his research is team reflexivity, the processes through which teams collectively reflect on their actions, goals, and strategies before, during, and after critical events. He investigates how reflective practices such as briefings, team time-outs, and debriefings influence individual wellbeing, team effectiveness, and organizational learning. Beyond team reflexivity, his research explores leadership in extreme contexts, dynamic and fluid forms of teamwork, and the emerging challenges and opportunities of human–AI teaming. By integrating perspectives from organizational psychology, space psychology, healthcare, and other high reliability domains, his work aims to advance our understanding of how teams can adapt, learn, and thrive under demanding conditions.

Space Psychology and Team Dynamics in Space Analog Environments

A major strand of Jan Schmutz's research investigates individual and team dynamics in isolated, confined, and extreme environments that serve as analogs for future long duration space missions. In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), he has conducted research at Concordia Station in Antarctica, one of the world's most established space analog environments, examining how teams adapt to prolonged isolation, confinement, and environmental stressors. He also collaborates with the LunAres Research Station in Poland(www.lunares.space), where his team collects intensive longitudinal data on psychological, social, and team processes during simulated space missions. These studies track daily fluctuations in variables such as affect, loneliness, cohesion, trust, workload, and social networks to better understand the dynamics of adaptation over time.

More recently, Jan Schmutz has been involved in research related to ESA's SOLIS100 mission, a 100-day space analog study designed to investigate human behavior, team functioning, and resilience during extended confinement. Across these projects, his research aims to generate evidence that can support the selection, training, and long-term performance of teams involved in future space exploration missions while also providing insights that are transferable to other extreme and high stakes work environments on Earth.

Point of Contact: Prof. Jan Schmutz

Selection of relevant literature

Cantisani, A., Schmutz, J. B. [equal contribution], Marques-Quinteiro, P., Dall'Amico, L., Cattuto, C., Antino, M., Eppich, W. J., Stegmayer, K., & Walther, S. (2026). Social interactions in isolated, confined, and extreme environments: A study of Antarctic winter teams using wearable sensors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 123 (22) e2533420123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2533420123

Schmutz, J. B., Marques-Quinteiro, P., Antino, M., Filha, F. & Eppich, W. J. (2026). Navigating Affective Extremes in Antarctica: Coping Strategies for Individuals and Teams in Confined Environments. Environment & Behavior, Advance online publication
. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165261427136

Marques-Quinteiro, P., Schmutz, J. B., Antino, M., Maynard, M. T., & Eppich, W. J. (2025). A process model of team effectiveness in extreme environments. Applied Psychology(74), 5. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.70037

Rätze, S., Steputat-Rätze, A., Müller, H., Maynard, T. & Schmutz, J. B. (2025). Teamwork Under Adversity: An Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda. Academy of Management Annals. Advance online publication
. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2022.0217

Marques-Quinteiro, P., Schmutz, J. B., Antino, M., Eppich, W. & Maynard, T. (2024). Adaptation Triggers and Team Performance in Extreme Contexts: Evidence from an Antarctic Summer Campaign. Group and Organizational Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011241287945

Schmutz, J. B., Bienefeld, N., Maynard M. T. & Rico, R. (2023). Exceeding the Ordinary: A Framework for Examining Teams across the Extremeness Continuum and its Impact on Future Research. Group and Organizational Management, 48, 581-628
. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221150756