Space technology in remote health care

Abstract

Crews and passengers on future long-duration Earth orbital and interplanetary missions must be provided quality health services - to combat illnesses and accidental injuries, and for routine preventive care. People on Earth-orbital missions can be returned relatively easily to Earth, but those on interplanetary missions cannot. Accordingly, crews on long-duration missions will likely include at least one specially trained person, perhaps a physician's assistant, hospital corpsman, nurse, or physician who will be responsible for providing onboard health services. Specifically, we must determine the most effective way to administer health care to a remotely located population. NASA with the cooperation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare is pursuing a program for providing health services to remote locations on Earth as a necessary step to developing and verifying this capability on a spacecraft. The STARPAHC program is described.