Final Project

Annaliesa O.

Legislator:  Gary L. Walker, Representative

The Human Factor

Since I plan to persue a career in the medical field when I graduate, I decided to base my final project on The Human Factor and how mars affects us as humans. There are many devices that have been developed to keep astronauts physically fit and healthy during long-duration flights, which is exactly what a trip to Mars would be. A few of these include: clean air and water, waste management, adequate food. Astronauts also are subjected to a vigorous and comprehensive exercise program that helps to prevent weightloss, and to maintain muscle tone and strength.

One way being tested currently that would help obtain both clean air and a food supply is plants being on-board the spaceshuttle. Plants, as you know, give off oxygen during photosynthesis this is a vital resource to humans, and adversely, humans give off carbon dioxide during respiration. So if this plant study is perfected we may very be able to produce oxygen in space with little assistance from oxygen tanks. Plants are also a source of nourishment for humans, so besides providing oxygen they also give us food. Healthy, fresh foods are a important part of the voyage to Mars, besides having nutritional benefits, fresh fruits and vegetables have a positive psychological benefit on the astronauts. I believe having plant growing facilities aboard the spacecraft during flight would be a great asset for the astronauts both psychologically and physically.

Another important part to keeping an astronaut healthy during their spaceflight is exercise. Though the astronauts exercise daily, when the return to Earth it is still hard for them to control their muscles. Their muscle tone decrease while in space and for about a week it is hard for them to even walk. Then weeks after they return home they undergo intense rehabilitation that restores their normal movement. During a long-duration flight, just to stay healthy, the astronauts must exercise for a minimum of two hours per day. Types of in-flight exercise include bicycling, walking on a treadmill, doing resistance exercises, and stretching.

Eating a strict and properly balanced diet is also a requirement for staying healthy while in space. The shuttle crews are allowed to choose which foods they would like to take with them, but each meal must include all four food groups and in the right proportions. Nutritional supplements, such as calcium and protein also are a possibility to take on the voyage to help with mineral losses caused by the zero-gravity environment that the crew will be exposed to.

In addition to these preventative measures, the Mars crew will also consist of a member who is a doctor (yeah!) and a medically trained assistant. Just as all astronauts are today, everyone on the crew will be trained in first aid. The doctor will have access to medicines and medical equipment used to monitor vital signs. The ability to test blood, visualize organs, give medication, and perform minor surgery will be a necessity for the voyage to Mars. The crew will have access to but will not likely need this equipment because significant illness or injury rates based on US and Russian spaceflights, submarine experience, Antarctic base experiences, and military aviators, are about .06 per person per year. For a Mars mission of six crew members lasting 2.5 years, the estimated incidence rate is .9 or about 1 person per mission. The project incidence rate of a serious injury requiring intensive care support is about .02 per person per year, or once in every three Mars missions.(exert from space medicine in the Human Factor section of material)

Producing plants, nutrition, and exercise are three major components of keeping crew members of the Mars mission physically and mentally fit. Along with these three things human beings specially trained to accompany and enhance these things will make for a great voyage.

Last Updated:  09/10/01