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Technical Briefs

Technical Briefs are available for standards that offer technical data, background, and application notes for vehicle developers and medical professionals. These tech briefs integrate content from multiple standards and provide a quick, informative resource to reference when working with NASA-STD-3001. Browse to view all technical briefs or explore by category to the right.

Human Physiology and Behavioral Health
Medical Care
Mishaps
Vehicle Systems
All Technical Briefs

Human Phys and Behavioral Health

Crew health and performance are critical to successful human space exploration. This section contains briefs describing the effects of spaceflight on human physiology and behavioral health and provides some of the knowledge base, technologies, and countermeasure strategies that permit safe and successful human spaceflight.

Latest Technical Brief Release

Space Adaptation Sickness (SAS)

This technical brief describes the theories of causes, symptoms, and treatments provided to crew to help minimize the impact of Space Adaptation Sickness.

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S91-44453 (21 Aug 1991) — The crew of STS-45 is already training for its March 1992 mission, including stints on the KC-135 zero-gravity-simulating aircraft. Shown with an inflatable globe are, clockwise from the top, C. Michael Foale, mission specialist; Dirk Frimout, payload specialist; Brian Duffy, pilot; Charles R. (Rick) Chappell, backup payload specialist; Charles F. Bolden, mission commander; Byron K. Lichtenberg, payload specialist; and Kathryn D. Sullivan, payload commander.

Human Physiology and Behavioral Health

Anthropometrics and Crew Physical Characteristics

Behavioral Health and Performance Icon

Behavioral Health and Performance

Bone loss Icon

Bone Loss

Crew Survivability

Decompression Sickness (DCS) Risk Mitigation

Exercise Overview

Food and Nutrition

Mission Duration

Mortality Related to Human Spaceflight

Orthostatic Intolerance

Space Adaptation Sickness (SAS)

Sensorimotor

Waste Management

Water

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Medical Care

Spaceflight presents unique medical challenges, requiring specialized approaches to healthcare in a remote, confined environment. This section covers briefs on in-flight medical capabilities, crew screening and monitoring, pharmaceuticals and medications, and contingency planning.

Latest Technical Brief Release

Medical Operations

Maintaining human health and performance during spaceflight missions is essential to achieving mission success. Having the appropriate medical operations plans and support in place pre, in-, and post-flight is key. 

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Mir 18 crewmember Gennadiy M. Strekalov, center, practicies an emergency medical procedure to maintain a patient airway during training at JSC. Looking on are Dave E. Ward (right), a JSC medical doctor, and an unidentified interpreter.

Medical Care

Crew Selection and Recertification

Health Stabilization Program

Heliobacter pylori Overview and Treatment Guidance

Longitudinal Health Surveillance

Medical Operations

Pharmaceuticals and Medications

Shoulder Injury Overview and Treatment Guidance

Medial clip art diagram of an eyeball.

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS)

Spaceflight Experience & Medical Care

Spaceflight Toxicology

Urinary Health

Waivered Health Conditions

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Mishaps

Understanding and mitigating mistakes and malfunctions is crucial for mission success. This section focuses on mishaps related to behavioral health, decompression, entry and landing, and extravehicular activity. The briefs analyze past incidents to inform safety protocols and risk management strategies for crew safety and mission reliability.

Mishaps

Behavioral Health Mishaps

Decompression and LEA Suit Mishaps

Entry Landing Mishaps

EVA Mishaps

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Vehicle Systems

The design and functionality of spacecraft systems are vital for supporting human life and wellbeing in space. This section covers a broad range of briefs, from acoustics, lighting, and automated and robotic systems, to microbiology, rovers, and environmental control and life support systems.

Latest Technical Brief Release

Spacesuits Overview

This technical brief describes a brief background and history of spacesuits used and design considerations for future development to enable missions and crew health.

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NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann is pictured in her Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or spacesuit, during her second spacewalk. She and fellow spacewalker Koichi Wakata (out of frame) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) installed a modification kit on the International Space Station's starboard truss structure that will enable the future installation of the orbiting lab's next roll-out solar array.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann is pictured in her Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or spacesuit, during her second spacewalk. She and fellow spacewalker Koichi Wakata (out of frame) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) installed a modification kit on the International Space Station’s starboard truss structure that will enable the future installation of the orbiting lab’s next roll-out solar array.

Vehicle Systems

Acoustics

Apollo Lunar Lander

Artemis Lighting

Automated and Robotic Systems

Cabin Architecture

Carbon Dioxide 

Cognitive Workload

Design for Maintainability

Electrical Shock

Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)

Extraterrestrial Surface Transport Vehicles (Rovers)

Fire Protection

Habitable Atmosphere

Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)

Lighting Design

Lunar Dust

Microbiology in Space Overview

Non-Ionizing Radiation

Occupant Protection

Radiation Protection

Sleep Accommodations 

Spacesuits

Suited Carbon Dioxide

Thermostat

Touch Temperature

Usability, Workload, Error

Vehicle Hatches

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Acoustics

Anthropometrics and Crew Physical Characteristics

Apollo Lunar Lander

Artemis Lighting

Automated and Robotic Systems

Behavioral Health and Performance

Behavioral Health Mishaps

Bone Loss

Cabin Architecture

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Cognitive Workload

Crew Selection and Recertification

Crew Survivability

Decompression and LEA Suit Mishaps

Decompression Sickness (DCS) Risk Mitigation

Design for Maintainability

Electrical Shock

Entry Landing Mishaps

Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)

Exercise Overview

EVA Mishaps

Extraterrestrial Surface Transport Vehicles (Rovers)

Fire Protection

Food and Nutrition

Habitable Atmosphere

Health Stabilization Program

Heliobacter pylori (H. pylori) Overview & Treatment Guidance

Longitudinal Health Surveillance

Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)

Lighting Design

Lunar Dust

Medical Operations

Microbiology in Space Overview

Mission Duration

Mortality Related to Human Spaceflight

Non-Ionizing Radiation

Occupant Protection

Orthostatic Intolerance

Pharmaceuticals and Medications

Radiation Protection

Sensorimotor

Shoulder Injury Overview & Treatment Guidance

Sleep Accommodations 

Space Adaptation Sickness (SAS)

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS)

Spaceflight Experience & Medical Care

Spaceflight Toxicology

Spacesuits

Suited Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Touch Temperature

Urinary Health

Usability, Workload, Error

Vehicle Hatches

Waivered Health Conditions

Waste Management

Water

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Human Spaceflight and Aviation Standards

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