Considerations for Medical Transport from the Space Station via an Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV)

In developing a permanently crewed space station, the importance of medical care has been continually reaffirmed; and the health maintenance facility (HMF) is an integral component. It has diagnostic, therapeutic, monitoring, and information management capability. It is designed to allow supportive care for: (1) non-life-threatening illnesses; e.g., headache, lacerations; (2) moderate to severe, possibly life-threatening illnesses; e.g., appendicitis, kidney stones; and (3) severe, incapacitating, life-threatening illnesses; e.g., major trauma, toxic exposure. Since the HMF will not have a general surgical capability, the need for emergency escape and recovery methods has been studied. Medical risk assessments have determined that it is impossible to accurately predict the incidence of crewmember illness/injury. A best estimate is 1:3 per work-year, with 1% of these needing an ACRV. For an eight-person crew, this means that one assured crew return vehicle (ACRV) will be used every 4 to 12 years. The ACRV would serve at least three basic objectives as: (1) a crew return if the space shuttle is unavailable; (2) an escape vehicle from a major time-critical space station emergency; and (3) a full or partial crew return vehicle for a medical emergency. The focus of this paper is the third objective for the ACRV.