Findings ami Recommendations 



date countermeasures against the deconditioning effects of weightlessness can 

 only be done in space. 



— Research on the effects of radiation on humans in space must proceed along 

 two fronts. Characterization of the radiation fields, such as solar particle radia- 

 tion and galactic cosmic radiation, is essential for predicting the specific risks 

 and results of irradiation. To a large extent, this work must be conducted in 

 space and may be done safely using experimental plants and animals. The 

 space radiation environment is unique, and the spectrum of biological effects is 

 not yet fully understood. Some of the questions may be studied on the ground 

 using recently developed accelerators, but space-based experiments remain 

 essential. 



— For the rest of this century, ground-based research will be a practical mode for 

 controlled experiments on group behavior and for developing methods to 

 enhance crew performance on extended space missions. The effort will be par- 

 ticularly challenging, since group psychology pertinent to space flight is still in 

 an early stage of development. 



— Efficient Space Station operations and long-term human space flight will 

 require substantial developments in life support and EVA technology and in 

 the design of environments and systems to support crew health, safety, and 

 performance. At present, however, efforts in these areas are fragmented among 

 several program offices. 



A variable-gravity facility is a necessary tool for research conducted on the Space 

 Station. 



— It would provide a control for experimentation. Such a facility would, for 

 example, supply the flexibility necessary for studies in space of the physiologi- 

 cal effects produced by exposure to weightlessness and varying levels of artifi- 

 cial gravity. 



— It would also allow testing of artificial gravity as a possible countermeasure to 

 the physical deconditioning caused by extended exposure to weightlessness. 

 Studies could be conducted with laboratory animals to generate data for poten- 

 tial human application. 



Space experiments to evaluate stay times for the Space Station crew and prepare 

 for long-term human space missions will require Space Station laboratories for 

 clinical and basic biological research as soon as manned operations begin. 



Provision of medical care for the crew figures prominently into plans for human 

 space flight. Topics of consideration include the types of medical training required 

 for crew members, the data needed for a medical information system, and the 

 capabilities desirable in a Health Maintenance Facility (FFMF) and a Crew Emer- 

 gency Return Vehicle (CERV). 



Systems for storage, retrieval, and analysis of NASA's mission-derived data have 

 been used as tools in the physical sciences for several years. Notable among these 

 are the Climate Data System and the Pilot Land Data System developed at NASA's 

 Goddard Space Flight Center. Life sciences programs have the beginnings of a 



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