NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Identification of Medical Training Methods for Exploration MissionsAs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its international partner agencies anticipate eventual exploration missions of longer duration, there is a need to plan for the medical capabilities necessary to maximize crew health and provide the best likelihood of mission success. Current spaceflights consist of 5- to 6-month excursions to the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit (LEO), and a 12-month ISS mission is currently in planning stages. However, missions to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA), a return to the moon, or even a mission to Mars will demand unprecedented medical capabilities, particularly relating to the training of the crew medical officers (CMOs). In its attempts to address the questions about medical preparation for spaceflight beyond LEO, the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element within NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) defines a series of gaps. These gaps are shortcomings in knowledge, training, or technology that require resolution before an exploration mission can be undertaken. The ExMC element maintains current information about measures to close these gaps while developing plans for further investigation and research. Data pertaining to the gaps and their present status are available to the general public on the NASA Human Research Wiki and the NASA Human Research Roadmap Web sites (34, 36). One such gap, Gap 3.01, identifies a lack of knowledge about the optimal training methods for in-flight medical conditions identified on the Exploration Medical Condition List (EMCL), taking into account the crew medical officer s (CMOs) clinical background (33). This broad statement encompasses several related issues with the current methods of training CMOs and the medical ground support staff, specifically flight surgeons and biomedical engineers (BMEs) located in mission control, in addition to questions pertaining to the ways in which training will need to be adapted for the medical contingencies unique to exploration missions. To determine the optimal methods of medical training for an exploration medical crew and their ground support team, the historical context of medical operations, the current CMO training methods, and potential alternative training methods were identified.
Document ID
20130013532
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Rebecca S Blue
(The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, Texas, United States)
Laura M Bridge
(The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, Texas, United States)
Natacha G Chough
(The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, Texas, United States)
James Cushman
(The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, Texas, United States)
Muska Khpal
(The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, Texas, United States)
Sharmlai Watkins
(Universities Space Research Association Columbia, Maryland, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2014
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-28741
NASA/TM–2014-217384
S-1148
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
NASA Technical Management
Keywords
Long duration space flight
Aerospace medicine
Telemedicine
Astronaut training
Astronaut performance
No Preview Available