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Preliminary Results of the Effect of Spinal Elongation in Microgravity on Seated HeightThe Constellation Program is designing a new vehicle for future space travel to the International Space Station and to the Moon and beyond. One major accommodation and design issue that needs to be addressed with the current seat layout design is spinal elongation. Spinal elongation is the spinal growth that occurs due to straightening of the spinal curve and expansion of the inter-verbal discs in microgravity. Spinal elongation is critical to the design of the seats, seat layout, suit fit, and crew accommodation because of the implications it can have on the a safe return of the crewmembers or during the mission. Inadequate clearance between crewmembers and/or between crewmember hardware interfaces may potentially result in injury during the mission or upon returning to earth. Therefore, design requirements need to be determined that will allow for the elongation of the spine. The current requirement as specified in the Human Systems Integration Requirement (HSIR) document states that a 3% increase in standing height must be accommodated. However, it cannot be assumed that the amount of standing height growth is equivalent to the amount of spinal elongation because of the variation in body proportions between the lower body and torso. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the amount of spinal elongation for a seated posture for 6 Shuttle and 7 ISS missions. Crewmembers seated heights were collected before, during, and after spaceflight to determine the change in seated height and the amount of spinal growth that occurs due to microgravity. The changes in seated height will provide the designers with a design requirement that will allow for change in spinal growth for a seated posture. Preliminary results have shown that increase in seated height is greater than the 3% increase currently stated in the requirement.
Document ID
20090038743
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Rajulu, Sudhakar
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Young, Karen
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Mesloh, Miranda
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2009
Subject Category
Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence And Robotics
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-19146
Meeting Information
Meeting: Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) conference
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Country: United States
Start Date: May 9, 2010
End Date: May 13, 2010
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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