Overview 



The interpersonal interactions among the space crew and between the space and 

 ground crews will also be central to the success of extended missions. It will be par- 

 ticularly challenging to develop means to enhance productive behavior and avoid 

 damaging conflicts since the complexities are great for a crew in a confined vehicle 

 on an extended mission. The field of space psychology is still in early development. 

 Information is not available on the levels of morale and performance possible for 

 crews in space for lengthy periods of time or on the specific measures and systems 

 needed to maintain these levels. 



In its effort to understand the biological effects of space flight on organisms, Space 

 Medicine and Biology concentrates on a fact simple in statement but complex in 

 meaning: Gravity shapes life on Earth. We know that gravity has a role in deter- 

 mining the structure and function of terrestrial animals and plants. We do not 

 know, however, the scope of this phenomenon, or the mechanisms by which 

 gravity influences organism structure and function, or the mechanisms by which 

 organisms can adapt to changes in gravitational fields. Indeed, we do not know if 

 gravity is necessary for the maintenance of life. Space research with centrifuges — 

 using short-radius capabilities for plants and animals and large-radii facilities for 

 human studies — will make it possible to isolate the effects of gravity from other 

 physiological changes. The data generated will help determine if life as we know it 

 is possible in microgravity or at variable levels of artificial gravity. Extended human 

 space flight into the inner solar system cannot be undertaken without this informa- 

 tion. 



Space Medicine and Biology covers not only the topics noted above, but also the 

 requirements for a health maintenance facility, medical emergency measures, and a 

 crew emergency return vehicle. The multiple challenges are detailed in the first six 

 topical discussions given in section 3: "Biomedical Research," "Radiation," "Crew 

 Factors," "Systems Engineering," "Operational Medicine," and "Gravitational 

 Biology." 



Biological Systems Research 



This area incorporates programs in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems 

 (CELSS), Biospherics Research, and Exobiology. The central questions in these 

 fields, a selection of which is given below, relate to the fundamental nature and 

 limitations of life in the universe and require access to space for their resolution. 



• Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems 



— What are the effects of weightlessness and space radiation on plants? 



— Can closed ecological systems be engineered to produce adequate food and to 

 recycle wastes for extended space travel and settlement on other planets? 



• Biospherics Research 



— What maintains the stability of the Earth's global ecosystem? 



— How are human activities disturbing that stability, and what can be done to 

 preserve the health of our planet? 



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