Summary 



The next five papers review the efforts associated with particular NASA programs. 

 The first three explore issues pertinent to the effects of the space environment on 

 fundamental biological processes and the factors potentially limiting human 

 exploration of the solar system. The following two papers discuss issues related to 

 the origin, evolution, distribution, and function of life on Earth and in the uni- 

 verse. 



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"Operational Medicine" considers the health care of astronauts, particularly 

 during long-duration missions. It proceeds from the understandings that no 

 mission with humans in space can be risk free and that the goal of the 

 Operational Medicine Program must be health risk reduction to a clearly defined 

 level acceptable to the Agency. The most important issues in this area include 

 the periodic review and revision of requirements for the Health Maintenance 

 Facility, definition of medical requirements for a Crew Emergency Return Vehicle, 

 development and maintenance of a data-base management system to incorporate 

 inflight and ground-based medical records for astronauts, and the design of a 

 training program for inflight medical specialists. 



"Gravitational Biology" explores the major issues in a field that has emerged 

 with the advent of space flight. The discipline studies the scope and operating 

 mechanisms of one of the most obvious and major environmental factors on this 

 planet: gravity (g). Space-based research provides unparalleled opportunities to 

 expose organisms to fractional gravity levels ranging from zero to 1 g and 

 thereby to investigate the effects of gravity on these organisms. By so doing, it 

 can help determine if humans, other animals, and plants can live and function 

 effectively for extended periods in weightlessness or reduced gravity, as on the 

 Moon or Mars, or if they require exposure to artificial gravity. Such research 

 depends on the availability in space of a suite of variable-force centrifuge 

 facilities. 



The "CELSS" paper, like the preceding discussion, notes the parallel emphases 

 of the Gravitational Biology and the CELSS Programs, both of which conduct 

 plant research and require access to space for key investigations. Both papers 

 recommend collaborative efforts between the programs in areas of mutual 

 interest. The long-term goal of CELSS is to create an integrated, self-sustaining 

 system capable of providing food, potable water, and a breathable atmosphere 

 for space crews on extended missions. Among the many issues requiring space 

 research are the effects of weightlessness on plant growth, development, and 

 reproduction. For extended human space missions to be possible early in the 

 next century, the specific criteria for a CELSS need to be established well before 

 the end of this century. 



"Biospherics Research" addresses the programmatic goals of the Biospherics 

 Research Program, which are to develop methods to measure and predict 

 changes to planet Earth on a global scale and the biological consequences of 

 these changes. The funding and logistical support needed to meet these goals 

 on a long-term basis transcend the resources of any single organization. The 

 paper accordingly stresses the necessity of cooperation: between Biospherics 

 Research in the Life Sciences Division and Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Earth 



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