L4 - Astronaut Selection Flashcards
DESCRIBE THE CHAIN OF MEDICAL CARE
Prevention, diagnosis, treatment, stabilize, transport, re-habilitation
DESCRIBE THE SELECTION AND PREVENTION TARGETS
Selection: select-out pathology is not difficult. Select medical risk is more difficult
Prevention: long-term health maintenance. Health different from fitness
WHAT ARE THE EARLY FACTORS IN ASTRONAUT SELECTION?
Unknown environment Untested flight technology Harsh conditions induced by flight hardware Fitness over health Supply far outstripped demand Medical screening Many tolerance tests
DESCRIBE THE HISTORICAL MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR NASA ASTRONAUTS
Mercury: Physical science or engineering Military test pilot school 1500 hours flying < 40 and no taller than 5’11’’ Superb physical condition and psychological attributes Gemini: < 35 Broadened to include biological sciences degrees Not military flight experience 1000 hours Civilians included Apollo: Knowledge increased Space medicine Continued to reflect military pilots’ medical criteria Shuttle: Space flight specific medical requirements According to job function Pilots / mission specialists
DESCRIBE THE CURRENT MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR NASA ASTRONAUTS
Pilots – class I requirements
1000 hours of flying time in jet
Test pilot experience desirable
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics
1.6 – 1.9 m tall
Mission specialists – class II requirements
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics
3 years of related experience
Advanced degree can substitute experience
1.5 – 1.9 m tall
Payload specialists – class III requirements
Specific expertise, less than 30 days
Outside traditional selection process (sponsoring agency), final selection authority NASA
Professional in the physical or life sciences or a technician skilled in shuttle equipment
Payload specialist for a particular mission is nominated by the payload sponsor
Training: 2 years before flight. Intensive training for the mission, flight training course
Commercial astronauts: fly on privately owned space vehicles – class IV requirements
Space flight participant: teacher, tourists, congressional observer, cosmonauts – class IV requirements
DESCRIBE THE SELECTION METHODS
Medical history Physical examination Radiographic Laboratory Psychiatric Others: US: drug screen, microbiological, pregnancy, STD Russia: decompression, hypoxia, tilt, rotating chair, centrifuge tolerance, heat stress, parabolic flight Tolerance to acceleration (4G) Motion sickness susceptibility: RSA and ESA: vestibular training NASA: no investigation
DESCRIBE THE SELECTION PROCESS IN NASA
Medical results debriefing Presented to aerospace medical board (10-15 flight surgeons) Declared qualified or disqualified (25%) Yearly examination (less rigorous) Presented to astronaut selection board Interview with managers Legal investigation Approved by NASA administrator Called by chief astronaut office
DESCRIBE THE SELECTION PROCESS IN ESA
Stage 1: screening Medical questionnaire Acad./prof. qualification Stage 2: testing Vestibular test, centrifuge, tilt test, altitude chamber In-depth medical exams Visual Allergic Anthropometric/age Cardiovascular Hematological Oto-rhino-laryngological Metabolic / endocrine Surgical Neurological Pulmonary Dermatological Gastrointestinal Physiological tests Psychological evaluation Stage 3: interviews Stage 4: final decision
DESCRIBE THE SELECTION PROCESS IN RUSSIA
Not public process, different selection and training process Russian air force select 3-5 pilots every 3-4 years (Gagarin Training Center in Star City) RKK Energya (Russian space vehicles) select engineer cosmonauts (Moscow) Institute for biomedical problems selects scientist and medical cosmonauts (Moscow)
