Training in Space Medicine

Abstract

Providing healthcare during space flight requires special skills from qualified astronauts, mission control consulting physicians, allied health professionals, and biomedical engineers. A number of ancillary and engineering professionals continue to support all pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight activities. Long duration missions on the International Space Station with increased medical capabilities, requires the presence of a trained crew member serving as the crew medical officer, who may or may not be a physician depending on the expected medical risks. A structured curriculum in academic settings, supplemented by special skill (practicum) training is offered by several national space agencies such as European Space Agency, NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Russian Federal Space Agency. Physicians, who choose space medicine as a career, enter training programs with backgrounds in aviation physiology and medicine in addition to other specialties, and possess skill sets such as internal medicine, surgery, or emergency medicine. Physicians who provide healthcare to those who fly in space are called flight surgeons. The primary duty of a flight surgeon supporting an astronaut is to ensure their health and wellbeing by monitoring and mitigating hazards and risk across the entire mission experience. Primarily prevention-based, space medicine consists of ground-based activities and in-flight health maintenance of crew members, who are carefully selected and represent a unique physically fit professional. Training of the flight surgeon has evolved significantly during the twentieth century. This chapter discusses how physicians and other allied health professionals are trained in space medicine and aerospace medicine in the United States and around the world, citing both the development of military activities, the perspectives of the academic programs, and specialized training.