NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Safeguarding the Health of the NASA Astronaut Community: the Need for Expanded Medical Monitoring for Former NASA Astronauts Under the Astronaut Occupational Health Program The astronaut community is unique, and may be disproportionately exposed to occupational hazards not commonly seen in other communities. The extent to which the demands of the astronaut occupation and exposure to spaceflight-related hazards affect the health of the astronaut population over the life course is not completely known. Provision of health screening services to active and former astronauts ensures individual, mission, and community health and safety. Currently, the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Medicine Clinic (FMC) provides extensive medical monitoring to active astronauts throughout their careers. Upon retirement, astronauts may voluntarily return to the JSC FMC for an annual preventive exam. However, current retiree monitoring includes only selected screening tests, representing an opportunity for augmentation. The potential latent health effects of spaceflight demand an expanded framework of testing for former astronauts. The need is two-fold: screening tests widely recommended for other aging communities are necessary for astronauts to rule out conditions resulting from the natural aging process (e.g., colonoscopy, mammography), as opposed to conditions resulting directly from the astronaut occupation; and increased breadth of monitoring services will improve the understanding of occupational health risks and longitudinal health of the astronaut community, past, present, and future. To meet this need, NASA has begun an extensive exploration of the overall approach, cost, and policy implications of expanding existing medical monitoring under the Astronaut Occupational Health program for former NASA astronauts.
Document ID
20160010215
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Rossi, Meredith (Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Lee, Lesley (Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Wear, Mary (Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Van Baalen, Mary (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Rhodes, Bradley (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2016
Publication Date
October 31, 2016
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-37272
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (APHA 2016): Creating the Healthiest Nation: Ensuring the Right to Health
Location: Denver, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: October 29, 2016
End Date: November 2, 2016
Sponsors: Temple Univ., RTI International, American Public Health Association
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available