'umal Medicine 



Applied Research of Operational Significance 



• Relevant biomedical data from astronauts should be obtained at every 

 opportunity, both during flight (at regular intervals during long-duration 

 missions) and longitudinally on the ground. This information should be 

 included automatically in the medical information system in real or near real 

 time. Fail-safe mechanisms should be in place to ensure that the data are 

 complete, accurate, and reliable. It is critical that these data be collected 

 simultaneously on an appropriately matched control population. 



• Operational Medicine at NASA should work with other Agency divisions 

 and Government health agencies that deal with issues of mutual interest, 

 such as osteoporosis, radiation exposure, and exercise physiology. Avenues of 

 communication for the exchange of ideas and research results should be 

 encouraged within NASA and among NASA and other organizations and 

 investigators. 



Specific Medical Concerns 



A prospective, long-term study should be pursued investigating screening 

 techniques, such as whole-body magnetic resonance imaging or possibly 

 positron emission tomography, for use in crew selection for multiyear 

 missions. 



Development of a high-pressure EVA hard suit for the Space Station should 

 be actively pursued. 



Research into the development of countermeasures for space adaptation, 

 including exercise, diet, and variable gravity, should continue to be pursued 

 with vigor. 



Operational Medicine should periodically review and evaluate environmental 

 standards for spacecraft as an iterative process to ensure crew health and 

 safety. 



Standards for crew recreational and leisure time should be established to 

 maximize crew productivity during extended missions. 



Reference List 



1. Space Station Projects Office. July 14, 1986. Medical Requirements of an 

 Inflight Medical System for Space Station. JSC 31013. Houston: Johnson 

 Space Center. 



2. Medical Sciences Space Station Working Group. February 1984. Space Station 

 Medical Sciences Concepts. NASA TM 58355. Ed. John A. Mason and Phillip 

 C. Johnson, Jr. Houston: Johnson Space Center. 



3. Sulzman, Frank M. January 8, 1987. Advanced Missions with. Humans in 

 Space. Presentation made to Dale M. Myers, NASA Headquarters, 

 Washington, DC. 



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