PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (S ): 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Mercury 3, MR-3 



CLASSIFICATION : Human 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Environmental health 



OBJECTIVES : To familiarize man with a brief but complete space flight 

 experience, to evaluate man's ability to perform as a functional unit during 

 spaceflight, and to study man's physiological reactions. 



PROTOCOL : A pre- and postf light physical examination was performed, which 

 included a psychiatric interview. Routine blood and urine studies were 

 performed at F-3 hours, and R+45 min. Micromethods were utilized when 

 possible to analyze the samples. Parameters measured inflight were heart rate, 

 body temperature, and respiration. 



EQUIPMENT : Linear potentiometer with carbon-impregnated rubber (indirect 

 respiration measurement), rectal thermister (body temperature), EKG with low 

 impedence electrodes (for heart rate), camera (to film astronaut). 



RESULTS : No disturbing sensations were noted during weightlessness and 

 astronaut physiological function appeared in no way to be impaired. 

 Acceleration launch and re-entry g-forces produced stress magnitudes 

 consistent with those encountered during the training programs. 



CONCLUSIONS : Physiological responses were consistent with intact conscious 

 performance during all phases of flight. Responses to 5 minutes of 

 weightlessness were uneventful. The relative change in pulse rate in going 

 from weightlessness to re-entry acceleration was comparable to that in going 

 from 1-g to re-entry acceleration on the centrifuge. Vision, semicircular 

 canal function, and hearing appeared intact throughout the flight. 



PUBLICATIONS : 14, 260, 289, 351, 570 



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