Flight Programs 



— Space vehicles cannot, however, be designed to respond to human 

 requirements when specifications for such requirements do not yet exist. 

 Such specifications can only be advanced after basic biological research 

 requirements have been defined. 



• Research being conducted by life sciences at NASA has far-reaching conse- 

 quences, not only in answering basic questions, but in supporting practical 

 projects, such as determining the effects of gravity on CELSS and the con- 

 comitant ability to support long-duration, human space flight. 



Recommendations for NASA 



• Expand the use of space probes and ground-based techniques to examine the 

 physical and chemical characteristics of planets and other bodies. 



• Use a variety of manned and unmanned spacecraft, as well as ground-based 

 facilities, to study the effects of different aspects of the space environment 

 upon living systems. 



• Use the Space Station to conduct a research program that will result in the 

 ability to support humans safely and productively in space for periods up to 

 180 days and beyond. 



• Focus efforts on developing a more fundamental understanding of the 

 biological processes that limit humans in space and identifying appropriate 

 countermeasures by: 



— Building up knowledge through a systematic, step-by-step approach 

 examining a wide variety of concepts prior to embarking on full-fledged 

 examinations. 



— Conducting a series of experiments on analog systems (biological or 

 computational) to determine fundamental mechanisms. 



— Using all flight opportunities available to understand the major 

 limitations to long-duration human space flight early enough so that 

 appropriate preventive measures are tested and validated. It should also 

 be kept in mind that total control of risk might not be practical or 

 feasible. 



— Using the Space Station to prove concepts and countermeasures. 



• Reevaluate the procedures for developing and selecting flight experiments to 

 ensure timely research. The requirements for the experiments must meet 

 certain criteria, such as an interval of success probability, timeliness, 

 accommodation of existing technologies, crew scheduling and training, 

 ease/cost of implementation, payoff or impact (short- or long-term), and 

 collaboration with others. 



• Establish working relationships and working groups among NASA, the NIH, 

 and other research institutions and industries to develop a mutual under- 

 standing of fundamental biological processes and of measures to manage 

 potential limitations to our conquest of the space environment. 



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