NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Extravehicular mobility unit training and astronaut injuriesBACKGROUND: Astronaut spacewalk training can result in a variety of symptom complaints and possible injuries. This study quantified and characterized signs, symptoms, and injuries resulting from extravehicular activity spacesuit training at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, immersion facility. METHODS: We identified the frequency and incidence of symptoms by location, mechanisms of injury, and effective countermeasures. Recommendations were made to improve injury prevention, astronaut training, test preparation, and training hardware. At the end of each test, a questionnaire was completed documenting signs and symptoms, mechanisms of injury, and countermeasures. RESULTS: Of the 770 tests, there were 190 in which suit symptoms were reported (24.6%). There were a total of 352 reported suit symptom comments. Of those symptoms, 166 were in the hands (47.16%), 73 were in the shoulders (20.7%), and 40 were in the feet (11.4%). Others ranged from 6.0% to 0.28%, respectively, from the legs, arms, neck, trunk, groin, and head. Causal mechanisms for the hands included moisture and hard glove contacts resulting in fingernail injuries; in the shoulders, hard contact with suit components and strain mechanisms; and in the feet, hard boot contact. The severity of symptoms was highest in the shoulders, hands, and feet. CONCLUSIONS: Most signs and symptoms were mild, self-limited, of brief duration, and were well controlled by available countermeasures. Some represented the potential for significant injury with consequences affecting astronaut health and performance. Correction of extravehicular activity training-related injuries requires a multidisciplinary approach to improve prevention, medical intervention, astronaut training, test planning, and suit engineering.
Document ID
20050206859
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Strauss, Samuel
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX United States)
Krog, Ralph L.
Feiveson, Alan H.
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine
Volume: 76
Issue: 5
ISSN: 0095-6562
Subject Category
Man/System Technology And Life Support
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-programmatic

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available