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2 NASA Risk Management and Health Standards
Pages 25-44

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From page 25...
... This chapter begins with an overview of NASA's approach to risk management and then details the health standards and the process used to develop those standards. NASA RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESSES NASA addresses health risks associated with spaceflight using a number of strategies, including engineering, design, mission planning, basic and clinical research, surveillance, medical monitoring, preventive and treatment countermeasures, and health standards.
From page 26...
... that should guide health standard decision making surrounding long duration and exploration spaceflight missions and that could be integrated into risk management processes. Risk management policy at NASA comprises two integrated efforts: risk-informed decision making and continuous risk management processes (NASA, 2008a; Dezfuli, 2013)
From page 27...
... There may be multiple design reference missions to a single destination, and each is assessed for challenges, benefits, and risks. These scenarios provide context for mission design and risk identification and assessment, and include information on potential transit times, communication lag times, microgravity-exposure and radiation-exposure levels, vehicle requirements, and the extent of proposed extravehicular activity.
From page 28...
... . As part of this comprehensive review, the committee provided several recommendations with respect to format, evidence documentation, definition of specific risks, overarching risk categories (representing potential interaction among risks)
From page 29...
... Chapter 3 provides brief overviews of several of the 32 risks to illustrate how widely the risks vary in the extent to which there are known preventive or treatment measures and to which vehicle or mission design might provide countermeasures. Each of the risks has been rated by NASA for four design reference missions.
From page 30...
... 30 LONG DURATION AND EXPLORATION SPACEFLIGHT TABLE 2-2 Human Health and Performance Risks with Research Ratings for Design Reference Missions HRP Research Rating Risk Title ISS-12 Lunar NEA Mars Risk of orthostatic intolerance during C C C A re-exposure to gravity Risk of early onset osteoporosis due to A A A A spaceflight Risk factor of inadequate nutrition C C A U Risk of compromised EVA performance A A A A and crew health due to inadequate EVA suit systems Risk of inadequate performance due to C A A U reduced muscle mass, strength and endurance Risk of renal stone formation C C C C Risk of bone fracture C A C A Risk of intervertebral disc damage I I I I Risk of cardiac rhythm problems A C I I Risk of reduced physical performance C C A U capabilities due to reduced aerobic capacity Risk of crew adverse health event due to C A A A altered immune response Risk of impaired control of spacecraft, C C C A associated systems and immediate vehicle egress due to vestibular/sensorimotor alterations associated with spaceflight Risk of clinically relevant unpredicted C C C U effects of medication Risk of spaceflight-induced intracranial U I U U hypertension/vision alterations Risk of decompression sickness C C C C Risk of injury from dynamic loads C A A I Risk of performance decrement and crew C C A U illness due to an inadequate food system Risk of inadequate human-computer C C C C interaction
From page 31...
... focus on the extent to which there is evidence that the projected plans for that design reference mission will meet existing standards for maintaining crew health and performance or that countermeasures exist to control the risk.
From page 32...
... For example, OSHA issues permissible exposure limits that set regu latory limits on hazardous exposures for a wide range of work places and industries (OSHA, 2013)
From page 33...
... . 1 NASA's health standards are complemented by NASA standards for engineering and for safety and mission assurance with documentation, including the Human Integration Design Handbook, NASA Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentration Tables, and NASA Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines (NASA, 2008b,c, 2010, 2012b)
From page 34...
... . BOX 2-1 NASA Health Standards: Crew Health (2007)
From page 35...
... 6. Permissible Outcome Limit for Muscle Strength Standard a.
From page 36...
... 8. Space Permissible Exposure Limit for Space Flight Radiation Exposure Standard a.
From page 37...
... SOURCE: NASA, 2007. BOX 2-2 Examples of NASA Health Standards on Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health (2011)
From page 38...
... . The mandate for these standards is delineated in NASA Policy Directive 8900.5, which specifies that NASA's policy is to "provide a healthy and safe environment for crewmembers to enable successful human space exploration" with the OCHMO responsible for establishing and maintaining spaceflight health and medical standards (NASA, 2011a, p.
From page 39...
... . NASA Crew Selection and Medical Certification Standards In addition to spaceflight health standards, NASA has developed standards that specify health-related criteria for astronaut selection and parameters for health and medical screening, evaluation, and certification including annual certification medical examinations (NASA, 2012a)
From page 40...
... Recommendation 1: Expand on the Policies for Initiating and Re vising Health Standards NASA should ensure that its policies regarding health standards detail the conditions or circumstances (and relevant priorities) that initiate development or revision of health standards and ex plicitly indicate how these policies are fully consistent with the set of ethics principles outlined in this report.
From page 41...
... PowerPoint presented at the second meeting of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Ethics Principles and Guidelines for Health Standards for Long Duration and Exploration Spaceflights. Washington, DC, July 25.
From page 42...
... 2011a. NASA health and medical policy for human space exploration.
From page 43...
... 2008. Spacecraft maximum allowable concentrations for selected airborne contaminants.


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