Strategically, the HRP conducts research and technology development that: 1) enables the development or modification of Agency-level human health and performance standards by the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) and 2) provides Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) with methods of meeting those standards in the design, development, and operation of mission systems.
HRP research focuses on reducing crew health and performance risks for exploration missions. In addition, HRP research gathers the data necessary to understand and mitigate the long-term health risks to the crew, to allow the update of specific crew health standards for each mission scenario, to support crew selection, and to address any rehabilitation requirements. The OCHMO owns and sets the standards upon which the HRP research efforts are based. The Transition to Medical Practice process defined by the OCHMO is used to review the HRP deliverable countermeasures and technologies prior to their operational use.
HRP technology development advances medical care and countermeasure systems for exploration and vehicle development programs’ missions. The HRP also develops and matures operational concepts to inform requirements for the design and operation of space vehicles and habitats needed for exploration. This includes requirements for displays and controls, internal environments, operations planning, habitability, and methodologies for maintaining crew physical and mental health as well as physical and cognitive capabilities.
The HRP is managed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and comprised of six research and technology development projects. These projects provide the program knowledge and capabilities to conduct research addressing the human health and performance risks as well as advancing the readiness levels of technology and countermeasures to the point of transfer to the customer programs and organizations. The six projects within the HRP are referred to as Program Elements throughout this document. Each Element is managed at the JSC with research and technology development expertise provided by JSC, Ames Research Center (ARC), Glenn Research Center (GRC), the Langley Research Center (LaRC), and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), as well as other Agencies, institutions and organizations identified in the following Element descriptions. The six Elements are:
1) Space Radiation (SR) Element – The SR Element performs investigations to develop the scientific basis to accurately predict and mitigate health risks from the space radiation environment. This knowledge yields recommendations to permissible exposure limits, assessment/projection tools/models of crew risk from radiation exposure, and models/tools to assess vehicle design for radiation protection. The SR Element conducts research using accelerator-based simulation of space radiation. The SR Element explores and develops countermeasures to the deleterious effects of radiation on human health. The LaRC and ARC contribute to the SR Element.
2) Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element – The BHP Element identifies and characterizes the behavioral and performance risks associated with training, living and working in space, and returning to Earth. The BHP Element develops strategies, tools, and technologies to mitigate these risks.
3) Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element – The ExMC Element is responsible for defining requirements for crew health maintenance during exploration missions, developing treatment scenarios, extrapolating from the scenarios to health management modalities, and evaluating the feasibility of those modalities for use during exploration missions. The ExMC Element is also responsible for the technology and informatics development that will enable the availability of medical care and decision systems for exploration missions. GRC, LaRC and ARC contribute technology development and clinical care expertise to the ExMC Element.
4) Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element – The SHFH Element is focused on the human system in space environments: how do humans interface with spacecraft systems, and what environmental and habitation factors are essential to maintain crew health and performance? The SHFH Element has three main focus areas: space human factors engineering, advanced environmental health, and advanced food technology. The ARC contributes to the SHFH Element.
5) Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element – The HHC Element is responsible for understanding the physiological effects of spaceflight and developing countermeasure strategies and procedures. The Element provides the biomedical expertise for the development and assessment of medical standards and vehicle and spacesuit requirements dictated by human physiological needs. In addition, the HHC Element develops a validated and integrated suite of countermeasures for exploration missions to ensure the maintenance of crew health during all mission phases. The ARC and GRC contribute to the HHC Element as well as international agencies cooperating on joint flight proposals, reduced gravity studies, and collaborative bed rest studies.
6) International Space Station Medical Projects (ISSMP) Element – The ISSMP Element is responsible for managing all ISS and ground analog human research activities, including those integrated with operational medical support of the crews, and to ensure research tasks are completed. The ISSMP is responsible for all planning, integration, and implementation services for HRP research tasks and evaluation activities requiring access to space or related flight resources on the ISS, Soyuz, Progress, Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), commercial vehicles and ground-based spaceflight analogs. This includes support to related pre- and postflight activities. The ARC contributes to the ISSMP with technical support to experiment management, hardware development, and international partner integration. KSC provides support for baseline data collection requirements development for future crew vehicles.
The work performed within the six Elements is supported by numerous collaborative efforts with academia and international agencies. Relationships with the ISS Program, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) are critical to the HRP successfully meeting its objectives. The HRP also maintains collaborative relationships with the International Partners through various working groups. These relationships enhance the research capabilities and provide synergy between the research and technology efforts of different countries.
","programId":273,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":9526,"organizationName":"Space Operations Mission Directorate","acronym":"SOMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":9526,"stockImageFileId":28253,"title":"Human Research Program","acronymOrTitle":"HRP"},"description":"Current National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Occupant Protection standards and requirements are based on extrapolations of biodynamic models, which were based on human tests performed during pre-Space Shuttle human flight programs. In these tests, occupants were in different suit and seat configurations than are expected for the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and Commercial Crew programs. As a result, there is limited statistical validity to the Occupant Protection standards. Furthermore, the current standards and requirements have not been validated in relevant spaceflight suit and seat configurations or expected loading conditions. To address the limitations of the current NASA standards, this study will address the following two objectives: 1) Develop a Finite Element (FE) model of Test device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD), and 2) Conduct data mining of existing human injury and response data using the THOR FE model. In order to develop updated standards, adequate injury assessment tools must be chosen and developed. In the case of dynamic loads, the THOR ATD was chosen as the appropriate human surrogate. For the data mining portion of the task, re-creation of the conditions of each impact case is needed to determine injury risk. Since physical re-creation of each case is not feasible, a numerical model of the THOR ATD is desired. An existing THOR FE model will be refined and validated. To supplement available THOR ATD validation data, additional THOR ATD testing will be conducted at two facilities and ATD response data will be collected. The FE model responses will then be assessed against the physical ATD responses. Once the ATD model is validated, it can be used for the data mining portion of the study. Because analogous spaceflight injury biomechanics data are very limited, data mining of other analogous environments will be used. These datasets are chosen as they have similarities with the landing environment expected in future vehicles. The existing human injury and response data from other sources include historical military volunteer testing, automotive Crash Injury Research Engineering Network (CIREN), IndyCar impacts, and NASCAR impacts. These data sources can allow better extrapolation of the ATD responses to off-nominal conditions above the nominal range that can safely be tested in humans. These elements will be used to develop injury risk functions for each of the injury metrics measured from the ATD. These risk functions would then be incorporated with the results of other Tasks to update the NASA standards. Task Description: The ultimate aim of this project is to develop Occupant Protection standards for NASA that would apply to all future crewed spacecraft. 1.\tConduct ATD dynamic tests to relate human and ATD responses. 2.\tMine existing human injury and tolerance data and simulate dynamic environments using Finite Element (FE) models. Relate human injury and responses to ATD estimated responses from FE models. 3.\tDevelop injury risk functions based on ATD responses and develop NASA standards from these functions. ","benefits":"The results of this study have a significant impact on terrestrial applications in the automotive and aviation safety communities. This study has access to unique and previously unpublished human impact exposure data, which allows new insight into human tolerance to dynamic loads. This can have a direct benefit on future protection systems in automobiles and aircraft. 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HRP research focuses on reducing crew health and performance risks for exploration missions. In addition, HRP research gathers the data necessary to understand and mitigate the long-term health risks to the crew, to allow the update of specific crew health standards for each mission scenario, to support crew selection, and to address any rehabilitation requirements. The OCHMO owns and sets the standards upon which the HRP research efforts are based. The Transition to Medical Practice process defined by the OCHMO is used to review the HRP deliverable countermeasures and technologies prior to their operational use.
HRP technology development advances medical care and countermeasure systems for exploration and vehicle development programs’ missions. The HRP also develops and matures operational concepts to inform requirements for the design and operation of space vehicles and habitats needed for exploration. This includes requirements for displays and controls, internal environments, operations planning, habitability, and methodologies for maintaining crew physical and mental health as well as physical and cognitive capabilities.
The HRP is managed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and comprised of six research and technology development projects. These projects provide the program knowledge and capabilities to conduct research addressing the human health and performance risks as well as advancing the readiness levels of technology and countermeasures to the point of transfer to the customer programs and organizations. The six projects within the HRP are referred to as Program Elements throughout this document. Each Element is managed at the JSC with research and technology development expertise provided by JSC, Ames Research Center (ARC), Glenn Research Center (GRC), the Langley Research Center (LaRC), and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), as well as other Agencies, institutions and organizations identified in the following Element descriptions. The six Elements are:
1) Space Radiation (SR) Element – The SR Element performs investigations to develop the scientific basis to accurately predict and mitigate health risks from the space radiation environment. This knowledge yields recommendations to permissible exposure limits, assessment/projection tools/models of crew risk from radiation exposure, and models/tools to assess vehicle design for radiation protection. The SR Element conducts research using accelerator-based simulation of space radiation. The SR Element explores and develops countermeasures to the deleterious effects of radiation on human health. The LaRC and ARC contribute to the SR Element.
2) Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element – The BHP Element identifies and characterizes the behavioral and performance risks associated with training, living and working in space, and returning to Earth. The BHP Element develops strategies, tools, and technologies to mitigate these risks.
3) Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element – The ExMC Element is responsible for defining requirements for crew health maintenance during exploration missions, developing treatment scenarios, extrapolating from the scenarios to health management modalities, and evaluating the feasibility of those modalities for use during exploration missions. The ExMC Element is also responsible for the technology and informatics development that will enable the availability of medical care and decision systems for exploration missions. GRC, LaRC and ARC contribute technology development and clinical care expertise to the ExMC Element.
4) Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element – The SHFH Element is focused on the human system in space environments: how do humans interface with spacecraft systems, and what environmental and habitation factors are essential to maintain crew health and performance? The SHFH Element has three main focus areas: space human factors engineering, advanced environmental health, and advanced food technology. The ARC contributes to the SHFH Element.
5) Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element – The HHC Element is responsible for understanding the physiological effects of spaceflight and developing countermeasure strategies and procedures. The Element provides the biomedical expertise for the development and assessment of medical standards and vehicle and spacesuit requirements dictated by human physiological needs. In addition, the HHC Element develops a validated and integrated suite of countermeasures for exploration missions to ensure the maintenance of crew health during all mission phases. The ARC and GRC contribute to the HHC Element as well as international agencies cooperating on joint flight proposals, reduced gravity studies, and collaborative bed rest studies.
6) International Space Station Medical Projects (ISSMP) Element – The ISSMP Element is responsible for managing all ISS and ground analog human research activities, including those integrated with operational medical support of the crews, and to ensure research tasks are completed. The ISSMP is responsible for all planning, integration, and implementation services for HRP research tasks and evaluation activities requiring access to space or related flight resources on the ISS, Soyuz, Progress, Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), commercial vehicles and ground-based spaceflight analogs. This includes support to related pre- and postflight activities. The ARC contributes to the ISSMP with technical support to experiment management, hardware development, and international partner integration. KSC provides support for baseline data collection requirements development for future crew vehicles.
The work performed within the six Elements is supported by numerous collaborative efforts with academia and international agencies. Relationships with the ISS Program, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) are critical to the HRP successfully meeting its objectives. The HRP also maintains collaborative relationships with the International Partners through various working groups. These relationships enhance the research capabilities and provide synergy between the research and technology efforts of different countries.
","programId":273,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":9526,"organizationName":"Space Operations Mission Directorate","acronym":"SOMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":9526,"stockImageFileId":28253,"title":"Human Research Program","acronymOrTitle":"HRP"},"description":"Current National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Occupant Protection standards and requirements are based on extrapolations of biodynamic models, which were based on human tests performed during pre-Space Shuttle human flight programs. In these tests, occupants were in different suit and seat configurations than are expected for the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and Commercial Crew programs. As a result, there is limited statistical validity to the Occupant Protection standards. Furthermore, the current standards and requirements have not been validated in relevant spaceflight suit and seat configurations or expected loading conditions. To address the limitations of the current NASA standards, this study will address the following two objectives: 1) Develop a Finite Element (FE) model of Test device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD), and 2) Conduct data mining of existing human injury and response data using the THOR FE model. In order to develop updated standards, adequate injury assessment tools must be chosen and developed. In the case of dynamic loads, the THOR ATD was chosen as the appropriate human surrogate. For the data mining portion of the task, re-creation of the conditions of each impact case is needed to determine injury risk. Since physical re-creation of each case is not feasible, a numerical model of the THOR ATD is desired. An existing THOR FE model will be refined and validated. To supplement available THOR ATD validation data, additional THOR ATD testing will be conducted at two facilities and ATD response data will be collected. The FE model responses will then be assessed against the physical ATD responses. Once the ATD model is validated, it can be used for the data mining portion of the study. Because analogous spaceflight injury biomechanics data are very limited, data mining of other analogous environments will be used. These datasets are chosen as they have similarities with the landing environment expected in future vehicles. The existing human injury and response data from other sources include historical military volunteer testing, automotive Crash Injury Research Engineering Network (CIREN), IndyCar impacts, and NASCAR impacts. These data sources can allow better extrapolation of the ATD responses to off-nominal conditions above the nominal range that can safely be tested in humans. These elements will be used to develop injury risk functions for each of the injury metrics measured from the ATD. These risk functions would then be incorporated with the results of other Tasks to update the NASA standards. Task Description: The ultimate aim of this project is to develop Occupant Protection standards for NASA that would apply to all future crewed spacecraft. 1.\tConduct ATD dynamic tests to relate human and ATD responses. 2.\tMine existing human injury and tolerance data and simulate dynamic environments using Finite Element (FE) models. Relate human injury and responses to ATD estimated responses from FE models. 3.\tDevelop injury risk functions based on ATD responses and develop NASA standards from these functions. ","benefits":"The results of this study have a significant impact on terrestrial applications in the automotive and aviation safety communities. This study has access to unique and previously unpublished human impact exposure data, which allows new insight into human tolerance to dynamic loads. This can have a direct benefit on future protection systems in automobiles and aircraft. ","releaseStatus":"Released","status":"Completed","destinationType":["Mars"],"trlBegin":4,"trlCurrent":6,"trlEnd":6,"favorited":false,"detailedFunding":false,"programContacts":[{"contactId":103847,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"David","lastName":"Baumann","fullName":"David K Baumann","fullNameInverted":"Baumann, David K","middleInitial":"K","email":"david.k.baumann@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Director","programContactId":181,"programId":273,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Director","projectContactRolePretty":""}],"endDateString":"Apr 2015","startDateString":"Jun 2012"},"technologyOutcomePartner":"Other","technologyOutcomeDate":"2015-04-30","infusion":"Other","technologyOutcomePath":"Closed_Out","technologyOutcomeRationale":"Other","details":"Current National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) occupant protection standards and requirements are based on extrapolations of biodynamic models, which were based on human tests performed during pre-Space Shuttle human flight programs. In these tests, occupants were in different suit and seat configurations than are expected for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and Commercial Crew programs. As a result, there is limited statistical validity to the occupant protection standards. Furthermore, the current standards and requirements have not been validated in relevant spaceflight suit and seat configurations or expected loading conditions. The objectives of this study are to use current modeling techniques and industry standard approaches to analyze existing human databases to develop new NASA standards and requirements for occupant protection. To accomplish these objectives we began by determining which critical injuries NASA needs to mitigate. We then defined the anthropomorphic test device (ATD) and the associated injury metrics of interest. Finally, we conducted a literature review of available data for the Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) ATD to determine injury assessment reference values (IARV) to serve as a baseline for further development. The first objective of this study was to assess the THOR for use by NASA in developing and validating occupant protection standards. THOR was impact tested in various orientations and multiple peak acceleration levels, and responses to these impacts differed from human responses under identical impact conditions and do not replicate human bracing for impact. As part of this study, a finite element model (FEM) of the THOR was developed, calibrated, and optimized. The FEM proved a good match to the ATD. The FEM simulations (at a wide range of impacts that military subjects participated in) historically revealed that the FEM correlated to lower-peak acceleration impacts better than to higher-peak accelerations. The second objective of this study was to mine existing human injury and exposure data. The U.S. Air Force maintains thousands of human-impact-test results. Data collected from 1976 to 2004 have been downloaded and converted into a user-friendly MATLAB data structure format. The team created IARVs for several metrics mined from existing injury literature. The IARVs for the spine and chest deflection subsequently were refined based upon statistical models of combined non-injurious and injurious literature data. This work culminated in the development of an acceptable risk of injury from spaceflight, which included a newly developed operationally relevant injury scale. 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Stapp Car Crash Journal. Abstract submitted, April 2013., Apr-2013 ","libraryItemType":"Story","projectId":23231,"internalOnly":false,"publishedDateString":"","entryDateString":"01/22/25 01:10 AM","libraryItemTypePretty":"Story","modifiedDateString":"01/17/24 08:47 PM"},{"files":[],"libraryItemId":308544,"title":"Abstracts for Journals and Proceedings","description":"Putnam J, Somers J, Untaroiu C, Pellettiere J. \"A Finite Element Model of the THOR-K Dummy for Aerospace and Aircraft Impact Simulations.\" Presentation at The Seventh Triennial International Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference, Philadelphia, PA, December 2-5, 2013. (Federal Aviation Administration). The Seventh Triennial International Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference, Philadelphia, PA, December 2-5, 2013. 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Volume 3: 16th International Conference on Advanced Vehicle Technologies; 11th International Conference on Design Education; 7th Frontiers in Biomedical Devices Buffalo, New York, USA, August 17–20, 2014. 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