Document Detail


Human health and performance for long-duration spaceflight.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18581950     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Future long-duration spaceflights are now being planned to the Moon and Mars as a part of the "Vision for Space Exploration" program initiated by NASA in 2004. This report describes the design reference missions for the International Space Station, Lunar Base, and eventually a Mars Expedition. There is a need to develop more stringent preflight medical screening for crewmembers to minimize risk factors for diseases which cannot be effectively treated in flight. Since funding for space life sciences research and development has been eliminated to fund program development, these missions will be enabled by countermeasures much like those currently in use aboard the International Space Station. Artificial gravity using centrifugation in a rotating spacecraft has been suggested repeatedly as a "universal countermeasure" against deconditioning in microgravity and could be an option if other countermeasures are found to be ineffective. However, the greatest medical unknown in interplanetary flight may be the effects of radiation exposure. In addition, a Mars expedition would lead to a far greater level of isolation and psychological stress than any space mission attempted previously; because of this, psychiatric decompensation remains a risk. Historically, mortality and morbidity related to illness and injury have accounted for more failures and delays in new exploration than have defective transportation systems. The medical care system on a future Mars expedition will need to be autonomous and self-sufficient due to the extremely long separation from definitive medical care. This capability could be expanded by the presence of a physician in the crew and including simple, low-technology surgical capability.
Authors:
Denise L Baisden; Gary E Beven; Mark R Campbell; John B Charles; Joseph P Dervay; Estrella Foster; Gary W Gray; Douglas R Hamilton; Dwight A Holland; Richard T Jennings; Smith L Johnston; Jeffrey A Jones; Joseph P Kerwin; James Locke; James D Polk; Philip J Scarpa; Walter Sipes; Jan Stepanek; James T Webb; ;
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Practice Guideline    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Aviation, space, and environmental medicine     Volume:  79     ISSN:  0095-6562     ISO Abbreviation:  Aviat Space Environ Med     Publication Date:  2008 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-06-27     Completed Date:  2008-07-22     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7501714     Medline TA:  Aviat Space Environ Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  629-35     Citation Subset:  IM; S    
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aerospace Medicine
Ecological Systems, Closed*
Health Facility Planning
Humans
Life Support Systems*
Radiation Protection
Space Flight*
Time
United States
United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Weightlessness / adverse effects*
Weightlessness Countermeasures

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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