Susan Charlesworth

Let's problem solve like astronauts

It's summer holidays here in the UK, and I am taking August off with my daughters for much-needed family time. We've already done Center Parcs and have just got back from camping, so we are already in holiday-mode here! However, buried in a previous newsletter, I

Astronauts, Red Arrows and ... sleep deprivation.

Last week was a blur of space, jets, and a serious amount of coffee. I was speaking at the UK Space Conference (three sessions in two days!) followed immediately by a talk at RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo), one of the world’s biggest air shows. It was inspiring. Intense.

Designing Space for Humans

This week I spoke at the Starlab Discovery Day, an event exploring what comes after the International Space Station, and how we can build the next generation of space habitat. If you haven’t heard of it yet, Starlab is a commercial space station being developed by Voyager Space and

Resources

The Explorer's Toolkit

Unlock the human potential in your organisation by cultivating exploration

From keynote to classroom... two very different talks

This week has been a nice change of pace. I’ve mostly been in my home office, which is a contrast to last week’s rush of travel and events. It’s given me a bit of breathing space and a chance to prep for my next two speaking gigs.

Human factors. More than safety. More than soft skills.

This week, I gave the Institute Lecture at the CIEHF annual conference. While that was a genuine privilege, one part of the conference I’ve been thinking about most since is a panel session I attended. It was a session (expertly run by Barry Kirby, Fiona Cayzer, Ian James, and

3 ways I’m managing cognitive load before TEDx

This time next week, I’ll be standing on the red dot at TEDxBrighton. No slides. No notes. Just me, a stage, and over a thousand people in the audience. What could possibly go wrong? This week has been full of rehearsing, forgetting, rephrasing, voice notes, pacing, more forgetting… and

Why Some People Bounce Back. And Others Stay Stuck

I used to believe resilience was about toughness. That bouncing back meant pushing through, keeping going, and never letting setbacks get to you. But that’s not it. Resilience isn’t about ignoring failure, rejection, or uncertainty. It’s about responding and adapting to them. It is natural to feel

How to Prepare for the Unknown

👋 Welcome to ✨The Launch Code✨ Your weekly dose of human performance insights from Charlesworth Human Performance. Hey, Since this is the first edition of the 'new' newsletter, it feels like the perfect moment to share some exciting news… 🎤 I’m speaking at TEDxBrighton 2025!  I love watching TED

Articles

Optimising Human Performance in Space: From Theory to Practice

Part 3: Practical Applications and Future Directions

Articles

Cognitive Workload: The Critical Balance in Space Operations

Part 2: Understanding and Managing Mental Demands

Articles

Space Between the Ears: Human Cognition in Space Operations

Part 1: Foundations and Core Concepts of Understanding Human Information Processing