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Supporting Humans in Space: A Brief Historical Perspective of the US Manned Spaceflight Program

Space medicine can trace its origins to health care research, training, and practices in the US Air Force and Navy in the 1950s. As the US-Russian "space race" took shape following the launch of Sputnik, interest in space medicine intensified. Most of the medical research in the early days of US manned spaceflight (Project Mercury through the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project) was incorporated as mission objectives on most flights. Although this approach was not optimal for systematic data collection, it did reveal some adverse health consequences of space travel, such as space motion sickness, bone and muscle wasting, and orthostasis. Beginning with the Space Shuttle Program, dedicated space medicine and physiology missions were flown, which began to expand our knowledge of the potential effects—and hazards—of spaceflight. As we gain greater experience with long-duration spaceflight, it is hoped that countermeasures will be identified to mitigate many of the health concerns of space travel. Such work will be crucial for the conduct of interplanetary travel to Mars and beyond. With the possibility of the Chinese taking a significant foothold in space, a renewed sense of urgency regarding space medical research may emerge in the near future.

Key Words: space medicine • countermeasures • manned spaceflight

Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 16, No. 2, 85-90 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0897190003016002002


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