Biomedical results of the Space Shuttle orbital flight test program

Area of Science:

• Spaceflight physiology
• Aerospace medicine

Background:

• The fourth Orbital Flight Test (OFT) of the Space Transportation System (STS) concluded in July 1982.
• Medical operations support was crucial for ensuring crew health during space missions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate crew health and well-being throughout all mission phases.
• To complete biomedical flight test requirements for future space missions.

Main Methods:

• Crew health was monitored preflight, inflight, and postflight.
• Biomedical tests included physiological adaptation to microgravity, cabin acoustics, atmosphere, radiation, exercise equipment, and cardiovascular countermeasures.

Main Results:

• All planned biomedical flight test requirements were successfully completed.
• Data was gathered on crew adaptation to the space environment and the effectiveness of countermeasures.

Conclusions:

• The medical operations support for the OFT was successful in ensuring crew health.
• The completed biomedical tests provided valuable data for future long-duration spaceflights.