Some approaches to medical support for Martian expedition

• Published in: Acta astronautica 2003-08, Vol.53 (4), p.269-275
• Main Authors: Kozlovskaya, Inessa B., Egorov, Anatoly D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Aerospace Medicine; Astronauts; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Mars; Physical Fitness; Space Flight; Space life sciences; Telemedicine; Weightlessness - adverse effects; Weightlessness Countermeasures
• ISSN: 0094-5765; 1879-2030
• DOI: 10.1016/S0094-5765(03)80004-8

Medical support in a Martian expedition will be within the scope of crew responsibilities and maximally autonomous. Requirements to the system of diagnostics in this mission include considerable use of means and methods of visualization of the main physiological parameters, telemedicine, broad usage of biochemical analyses (including “dry” chemistry), computerized collection, measurement, analysis and storage of medical information. The countermeasure system will be based on objective methods of crew fitness and working ability evaluation, individual selection of training regimens, and intensive use of computer controlled training. Implementation of the above principles implies modernization and refinement of the countermeasures currently used by space crews of long-term missions (LTM), and increases of the assortment of active and passive training devices, among them a short-arm centrifuge. The system of medical care with the functions of prevention, clinical diagnostics and timely treatment will be autonomous, too. The general requirements to medical care during the future mission are the following: availability of conditions and means for autonomous urgent and special medical aid and treatment of the most possible states and diseases, “a hospital”, and assignment to the crew of one or two doctors. To ensure independence of medical support and medical care in an expedition to Mars an automated expert system needs to be designed and constructed to control the medical situation as a whole.