Crew Health: Long-duration human missions, including missions with up
to 1,100 days in microgravity, potentially increase the risks of bone loss,
atrophy, trauma, neurovestibular issues, loss of clear vision, and illness for
the crew. To address these increased risks, crews will require new diagnostic,
monitoring, and treatment tools and techniques, including exercise systems
and other countermeasures, to maintain crew health. The ISS provides an
ideal test bed to develop these capabilities.
Radiation Safety: Outside the Earth’s magnetic field, crew and electronics are
exposed to high-energy particles, including infrequent, but potentially deadly,
solar particle events and constant exposure to galactic cosmic rays. These
high-energy particles can reduce immune response, increase cancer risk, and
interfere with electronics. NASA’s Human Research Program is developing
methods and technologies to protect, mitigate, and treat the effects of radiation
on the crew and their exploration systems.
The journey to Mars will be further defined through Proving Ground missions
in the next decade, as NASA and our partners retire these challenges and build
on the capabilities for sustainable pioneering. We know these challenges are
solvable and have a strategy in place for maturing the capabilities to address
them as we expand human presence into deep space.
Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka performs an ultrasound exam on astronaut Mike Fincke
aboard the ISS during Expedition 9.
32