Rapport-building in extreme environments: the case of astronauts in space and support crew on the ground

Abstract This paper explores the ways in which conversation partners demonstrate and develop familiarity and rapport with each other from a distance when one partner, an astronaut, works in the isolated, confined, and extreme environment of a spacecraft. Employing methodologies of pragmatics and pragmatic act theory, I explore radio communication between astronauts on missions in space and support crews on the ground. The audio-recorded conversations (189 h) took place between mission control centers on earth and astronauts on board the International Space Station. The findings reveal that rapport-building in space-to-ground communication occurs through a range of strategies, including stylistic playfulness, recognition of familiarity between speakers, reassurance, and self-deprecating humor. What distinguishes this exploration from existing research is its focus on the coexistence and intertwining of rapport-building with task-oriented communication in the extreme environment of human space flight.