  Alpha-XR Mission conducted by XR Lab PJAIT focused on research related to
individual and crew well-being and participatory team collaboration in ICE
(isolated, confined and extreme) conditions. In this two-week mission within an
analog space habitat, collaboration, objective execution and leisure was
facilitated and studied by virtual reality (VR) tools. The mission commander
and first officer, both experienced with virtual reality, took part in daily
briefings with mission control. In the first week the briefings were voice-only
conducted via a channel on Discord. During the following week last briefings
were conducted in VR, using Horizon Workrooms. This qualitative pilot study
employing participatory observation revealed that VR facilitates communication,
especially on complex problems and experiences, providing the sense of
emotional connection and shared understanding, that may be lacking in audio
calls. The study points to the need to further explore VR-facilitated
communication in high-stake environments as it may improve relationships,
well-being, and communication outcomes.
