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An Evidence-based Approach to Developing a Management Strategy for Medical Contingencies on the Lunar Surface: The NASA/Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) 2006 Lunar Medical Contingency Simulation at Devon IslandThe lunar architecture for future sortie and outpost missions will require humans to serve on the lunar surface considerably longer than the Apollo moon missions. Although the Apollo crewmembers sustained few injuries during their brief lunar surface activity, injuries did occur and are a concern for the longer lunar stays. Interestingly, lunar medical contingency plans were not developed during Apollo. In order to develop an evidence-base for handling a medical contingency on the lunar surface, a simulation using the moon-Mars analog environment at Devon Island, Nunavut, high Canadian Arctic was conducted. Objectives of this study included developing an effective management strategy for dealing with an incapacitated crewmember on the lunar surface, establishing audio/visual and biomedical data connectivity to multiple centers, testing rescue/extraction hardware and procedures, and evaluating in suit increased oxygen consumption. Methods: A review of the Apollo lunar surface activities and personal communications with Apollo lunar crewmembers provided the knowledge base of plausible scenarios that could potentially injure an astronaut during a lunar extravehicular activity (EVA). Objectives were established to demonstrate stabilization and transfer of an injured crewmember and communication with ground controllers at multiple mission control centers. Results: The project objectives were successfully achieved during the simulation. Among these objectives were extraction from a sloped terrain by a two-member crew in a 1 g analog environment, establishing real-time communication to multiple centers, providing biomedical data to flight controllers and crewmembers, and establishing a medical diagnosis and treatment plan from a remote site. Discussion: The simulation provided evidence for the types of equipment and methods for performing extraction of an injured crewmember from a sloped terrain. Additionally, the necessary communications infrastructure to connect multiple centers worldwide was established from a remote site. The surface crewmembers were confronted with a number of unexpected scenarios including environmental, communications, EVA suit, and navigation challenges during the course of the simulation which provided insight into the challenges of carrying out a medical contingency in an austere environment. The knowledge gained from completing the objectives will be incorporated into the exploration medical requirements involving an incapacitated astronaut on the lunar surface.
Document ID
20070029268
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Scheuring, R. A.
(Texas Univ. Galveston, TX, United States)
Jones, J. A.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Lee, P.
(Mars Inst. Vancouver, BC,Canada)
Comtois, J. M.
(Canadian Space Agency Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Chappell, S.
(Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Inc. Boulder, CO, United States)
Rafiq, A.
(Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Richmond, VA, United States)
Braham, S.
(Simon Fraser Univ. Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)
Hodgson, E.
(Hamilton-Sundstrand Space, Land and Sea Windsor Locks, CT, United States)
Sullivan, P.
(Canadian Space Agency Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Wilkinson, N.
(Mars Inst. Vancouver, BC,Canada)
Bach, D.
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Torney, S.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
May 20, 2007
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Meeting Information
Meeting: Humans in Space: 2007
Location: Beijing
Country: China
Start Date: May 20, 2007
End Date: May 24, 2007
Sponsors: International Academy of Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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