Healthcare in the Space Program:The Space Shuttle, The International Space Station, and the Mars Exploration Mission

摘要

President John F. Kennedy challenged the engineering profession of the United States in the late '60's with the goal of touching the moon's surface with a human footprint. Neil Armstrong achieved that goal in 1969. The interim time span between 1969 and 2002 has had many trials and tribulations for the U.S. space program run by NASA. Healthcare in space is as essential as healthcare on earth, but much more complex, and challenged by physiological alterations created by microgravity, limited payload, and the vastness of space itself. The International Space Station and the planned mission to Mars will incorporate lessons learned from previous Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space vehicles and mission situations. Due to the extended duration of a Mars manned mission, which will require extended exposure to the environment of the void of space and microgravity, physiological complexities must be predicted using simulations for conditions yet untested. This will mark yet another milestone in the history of space exploration, and healthcare technology will play a major role in its success.