The NASA-Glenn Research Centers Human Research Program office supports a wide range of technology development efforts aimed at enabling extended human presence in space. This presentation provides a brief overview of the historical successes, current 2013 activities and future projects of NASA-GRCs Human Research Program

Myers, Jerry G.

Nall, Marsha M.

NASA Technical Reports Server

National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Sp ce Administration 
Glenn Research Center  
Human Research Program 
 
Overview 
 
Marsha Nall 
Jerry Myers  
January 2013 
 
 
 
http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/SOPO/ICHO/HRP/ 
 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140012834 2019-08-31T18:34:01+00:00Z
Human Research Program Goal
The goal of HRP is to provide human health and performance  
countermeasures, 
knowledge,  
technologies, and  
tools  
to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. 
 
Seat layout for contingency EVA  
Example of a study on the effects of 
center of gravity on performance 
Clay Anderson centrifuges 
Nutrition blood samples 
during Increment 15 
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The  Human Research Program 
 
ISS 
Medical  
Projects 
 
Human  
Health  
Countermeasures 
Space  
Radiation 
Behavioral  
Health 
& Performance 
Exploration 
Medical  
Capability 
 
Space  
Human  
Factors & 
Habitability 
 
Cardiovascular  
& Vision 
Multisystem 
 
Exercise & 
Performance 
 
Advanced  
Food  
Technology 
Advanced  
Environmental 
 Health 
Space Human 
 Factors 
 Engineering 
NSBRI 
Human Research Program 
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Bone 
Technology &  
Infrastructure 
Human Research Program Agency Participants 
GRC Unique Expertise Leveraged by HRP
• Glenn’s Human Research Program is an interdisciplinary bioengineering 
program which applies GRC’s unique expertise in the following areas to fill 
HRP gaps 
– Microgravity fluid physics,  
– Microgravity combustion science 
– Sensors, diagnostics, and imaging 
– Computational modeling (deterministic and probabilistic) 
– Microfluidics 
– Spaceflight experiment payload development (over 150 flown) 
• HRP and GRC have worked very hard to expand and direct these skills to 
address HRP needs.   
– GRC has been extremely successful in adapting those skills to HRP problems  
– It is this adaptation that has made GRC doubly useful to HRP    
• The GRC HRP focus is not on biology or human studies but rather on 
technology development and modeling  
• Based on careful review of the overall Program needs, GRC HRP only 
advocates for content that augments, rather than duplicates, the JSC 
established content 
 
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GRC Unique Expertise Leveraged by HRP
• Based on this unique expertise, Glenn has been given leadership 
responsibility in the following critical programmatic areas: 
– Digital Astronaut (DA) – project management for the program 
– Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) – project management for the program 
– In Flight Lab Analysis (IFLA) – project management for the program 
– Risk Management – manager for human health risks at the program level 
– Implementation of NASA STD 7009 for Modeling and Simulation – program level 
 
• Glenn is also responsible for the following hardware development 
projects: 
– Medical Consumables Tracking (MCT) – ISS flight demo - FY15 
– In Flight Lab Analysis (IFLA) technology  - ISS flight demo – FY15 
– Advanced Exercise Concept (AEC) device – ISS flight demo - FY16 (or sooner) 
– Flexible Ultrasound System (FUS) – Ground demo - FY16 
– Medical Oxygen Concentrator (OCM) – ISS flight demo - FY17 
– Medical Suction – ISS flight demo - FY19 
– Exploration Lab Analysis (ELA) technology – ISS flight demo – FY20 
 
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GRC Human Research Program
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Enhanced Zero-G Locomotion 
Simulator 
Glenn Flight Harness 
Exercise Countermeasures: 
• Develop requirements for effective and reliable 
exercise hardware 
• Validate candidate exercise hardware technologies 
 
In-Flight Lab Analysis: 
• Focus on near term ISS demonstration of high 
priority analytes 
Exploration Medical Capability:  
• Quantify risk of inability to adequately treat 
• Develop technologies to quantify state of health 
• Develop treatment technologies 
• Regional technology watch for ExMC gaps 
 
Digital Astronaut:  
• Quantify space normal anatomy and physiology 
• Guide research to mitigate risk 
IVGEN in MSG 
Advanced Exercise Concepts 
Lunar Health Monitor 
IMM: Fracture Risk 
Lumbar 
Spine 
Proximal 
Femur 
BioWATCH 
PUMA Headgear 
Medical 
Consumables 
Tracking 
rHEALTH  
Optics Block 
DA 
Biomechanics / 
Device 
Integration 
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GRC Exercise Countermeasures Project 
 
• Responsibility: Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) 
• Development of New Exercise Hardware for 
Exploration Missions. Address HRP Integrated 
Research Plan Gaps M7-M9. Severe resource 
constraints; Low mass, volume, power - while 
meeting unprecedented mission demands require 
significant innovation  
 
• Capability: Ground Based Research and Simulation 
• Investigations performed on the enhanced Zero-g 
Locomotion Simulator (eZLS) – zero-g, lunar-g and 
Martian-g capable 
 
• Proven Success: Glenn Harness – transition to ISS 
Operations 
• Collaboration with Cleveland Clinic - developed a 
more ergonomic treadmill harness for crewmembers, 
improving loading and comfort. Innovative sensor 
was developed for flight study 
 
 
 
 
Enhanced Zero-g  Locomotion Simulator 
Harness SDTO 
Advanced Exercise Concepts 
GRC Exercise Countermeasures
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AEC Portfolio of Candidates 
Power Generating Pneumatic (Low/No Power)  Servomotors  Flywheels / Energy Storage   
Torsional Springs/Elastomers 
Vacuum 
Regenerative Braking 
(-)                                Power (0)                        (+)  
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In-Flight Laboratory Analysis 
• Ensure astronaut health and safety due to injury or illness on 
extended (>30 days) human exploration missions. 
 
• Address near term ‘loss of Biological Sample Return” risk 
carried by HRP since retirement of Shuttle by developing 
point-of-care biomedical analyte / lab analysis capability for 
technology demonstration on ISS 
 
• Provide biomedical diagnostics capability to facilitate the 
recognition and treatment of several medical conditions. 
 
• Provide analysis capability of biological fluids (i.e. blood, 
urine, saliva, sweat) in any habitable location 
 
10 
Nanomix – John Burcham (Emeryville, CA) 
OPKO Health, Inc. (Claros)  
David Steinmiller (Woburn, MA) 
DNA Medicine Institute –  
Eugene Chan, M.D. (Cambridge, MA) 
John McDevitt Labs (Houston, TX) 
GRC Exploration Medical Capability 
Exploration Medical Capabilities effort at GRC includes 
the following tasks: 
• IntraVenous fluid GENeration for exploration (IVGEN): 
Generates IV fluid in situ 
• Exploration Lab Analysis: focus on micro fluidics for 
reusability 
• Medical Consumables Tracking: utilize a Radio 
Frequency ID (RFID) system to track medical consumables 
and medication usage 
• Oxygen Concentrators: Fire risk assessment and device 
development 
• Flexible Ultrasound System: a platform that provides 
current and future diagnostics and therapeutic capabilities 
integrated into a common instrument with multiple 
transducer interoperability 
11 
Medical Consumables Tracking 
Flexible Ultrasound System 
IVGEN in the MSG 
Med Kits 
 
RSR Locker door & partitions 
Integrated Medical Model 
• Probability and consequences of medical risks  
• Integrate best evidence in a quantifiable assessment of risk 
• Identify medical resources necessary to optimize health and 
mission success considering 83 medical conditions 
Likelihood of occurrence, 
probable severity of 
occurrence, and 
optimization of treatment 
and resources. 
Potential Medical 
Condition 
Evaluate 
with IMM 
Integrated Medical
ModelClinical Evidence
Training
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Probabilistic Modeling Of Medical Event Scenarios 
 
• Probabilistic modeling expertise 
supporting risk activities  
– Integrated Medical Model (IMM) 
– Human System Risk Board (HSRB) 
• Successful Modeling Efforts  
– Bone fracture at susceptible 
locations  
– Sleep disturbance requiring 
intervention 
– Renal stone frequency (top level) 
– Cervical spine injury  
– Chest, abdominal and head injury 
• Other models and techniques 
under development 
– Renal stone formation (detailed) 
– Dynamic PRA to account for 
changes in risk due to changing 
mission events 
 
Lumbar 
Spine 
Proximal 
Femur Wrist 
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Increment Dose
SQF = 1.0
SQF = 0.75
Nominal crew sleep schedule is 21:30 -
06:00 GMT
Sleep quality factor (SQF) is a measure of 
the number of 5-minute interruptions per 
hour of sleep period time. The SQF 
modulates the sleep reservoir (SR) 
calculation in SAFTE by uniformly scaling 
each minute of the SR thereby controlling 
the benefit of sleep recovery.
13 
Digital Astronaut  Project  
The Digital Astronaut Project (DAP) implements well-vetted computational 
models to predict and assess spaceflight health and performance risks, and 
enhance countermeasure development.  
 
 
Digital Astronaut Project 
14 
GRC Content 
• Integrated biomechanical/device 
models to quantify exercise efficacy 
 
• Integrated biomechanical/device 
models to assist in understanding 
advanced exercise devices 
 
• Muscle model 
 
• Bone turnover model  
• Visual Impairment and Intracranial 
Pressure (VIIP) 
Model Credibility Assessment 
• NEW LEADERSHIP ROLE: GRC team leads the implementation of 
NASA-STD-7009 to computational modeling 
– 7009: A comprehensive set of requirements and processes for developing and 
applying models and simulations, while ensuring appropriate verification, 
validation and credibility of the M&S results 
 
15 
GRC Risk Management
• Providing leadership and guidance to the existing risk management 
efforts for the HRP human health and performance (HHP) risks 
 
– Refining existing, or defining new, processes to assist HRP team with having 
meaningful and timely movement of risks through the Continuous Risk 
Management (CRM) lifecycle 
 
– Strengthening HRP’s working relationship with the Human System Risk Board 
(HSRB), soon to be called the Integrated Human Risk Control Board (IHRCB) 
 
– Working issues encountered with vetting risks on a timely basis 
(standardization of presentation content, guidance criteria for risk evaluation to 
risk custodians, expectations of panel/board participation and assessment) 
 
– Several GRC personnel are considered the “go to” authorities on quantifying 
the HRP risk issues and are frequently sought out to validate risk estimate 
activities 
 
16 
Strategic Partnerships 
• Cleveland Clinic Center for Space Medicine 
– Promote interdisciplinary research that will exploit the unique skills, capabilities, and facilities of 
CCF and NASA GRC in support of long-duration spaceflight 
 
• National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) 
– Collaborative Study with University of Washington “Monitoring Bone Health Using Daily Load 
Stimulus During Lunar Missions”.  Evaluation, guidance and Infusion of technology projects 
into programmatic content as appropriate. 
 
• Summa Health Care System 
– Collaborate in the areas of minimally invasive surgery, specifically related minimizing the side 
effects and recovery period associated with prophylactic surgery , telemedicine for space 
applications,  and development of a concept for an aerospace medicine residency for a 
physician crew member based on an emergency medicine residency. 
 
• Wright Patterson Air Force Research Laboratory  - Human 
Effectiveness Directorate 
– Leveraging the consolidation of all aerospace medicine and human research activities at 
WPAFB in response to the BRAC directive.  Collaborative effort in the area of circadian rhythm 
upset and sleep deprivation and IV fluid generation 
17 
Strategic Partnerships 
 
• Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals  
– Leveraging expertise in the Case Biomedical Engineering Department and the University 
Hospitals Center for Clinical Research and Technology in the areas of physiological systems, 
clinical research, and patient care.  
 
• BioEnterprise 
– Tech watch and collaborative efforts to further development and commercialize life-science-
related technologies in Northeast Ohio.  
 
• NASA Human Health and Performance Center 
– Membership in virtual forum established to connect organizations world wide interested in 
collaborating and advancing human health and performance innovations for spaceflight, 
commercial aviation and challenging environments on Earth 
 
• John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium (Closed) 
– Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospitals of 
Cleveland, the National Center for Space Exploration Research perform interdisciplinary 
research leveraging GRC expertise in fluid physics and sensor technology to mitigate critical 
risks to crew health, safety, and performance. 
 
 
 
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Glenn Research Center Human Research Program: Overview

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