Autonomous medical care for exploration class space missions

Area of Science:

• Space medicine
• Aerospace health systems
• Astronaut care

Background:

• International Space Station (ISS) medical systems utilize a "stabilize and transport" model for crew health.
• Current systems provide primary, secondary, and tertiary medical prevention strategies.
• Existing space healthcare infrastructure is designed for short-duration missions or rapid Earth return.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the medical requirements for future exploration-class missions, including lunar and Mars missions.
• To identify necessary modifications to current space medical systems for deep space exploration.
• To propose a framework for effective medical risk mitigation in space exploration.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of current ISS medical systems (Health Maintenance, Environmental Health, Countermeasure Systems).
• Comparison of medical needs for low Earth orbit, lunar, and Mars missions.
• Review of NASA's five levels of care for future mission medical support.
• Identification of potential modifications for crew medical officer training, treatment guidelines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical informatics.

Main Results:

• Lunar missions require extended transport time to definitive medical care facilities (DMCF) compared to ISS.
• Mars missions present significant challenges due to delayed or impossible return to a DMCF.
• Limited resources (mass, power, volume) on Mars missions preclude replicating terrestrial medical capabilities.
• Current space medical systems need adaptation for the unique demands of deep space exploration.

Conclusions:

• Exploration-class missions, particularly to Mars, necessitate a paradigm shift in space healthcare beyond "stabilize and transport".
• Modifications to crew medical training, treatment protocols, medical resources, and informatics are essential for deep space mission success.
• A robust medical risk mitigation strategy is critical for ensuring astronaut health and safety during long-duration space exploration.