Text Size
Ensuring that crewmembers remain safe and healthy before, during, and after space travel is the ultimate objective of the Human Research Program. The research conducted in the Exploration Medical Capability Element focuses on methods of monitoring and maintaining crewmember health by preventing health problems, learning to treat injuries, and minimizing illnesses that may occur in the course of a mission.
Recent research activities carried out by the Exploration Medical Capability Element have addressed diagnostic technologies, medical recordkeeping systems, and guided treatment methodologies for different levels of care during space missions. Because planned missions to the Moon and Mars will require longer stays in space, new technologies and protocols will need to be designed to support long-term preventative and autonomous care.
The Exploration Medical Capability Element collaborates with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) and the Department of Defense, as well as other government-funded agencies, academic institutions, and industry.
NASA Human Research WikiThe Exploration Medical Capability Element recently established the NASA Human Research Wiki, which is an online collaborative environment, developed to enable authors internal and external to NASA to update the evidence base for medical conditions which are of concern for space flight. Information included on this website includes medical condition pages which when fully populated will include data on 85 medical conditions that could occur during space flight, and gap reports which outline existing gaps in either knowledge or technology that need to be addressed in order to enable safer exploration missions. The Wiki is located at http://humanresearchwiki.jsc.nasa.gov.
Return