Evolution of telemedicine in the space program and earth applications

Remote monitoring of crew spacecraft, and environmental health has always b een an integral part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) operations. Crew safety and mission success face a number of chal lenges in outerspace, including physiological adaptations to microgravity, radiation exposure, extreme temperatures and vacuum, and psychosocial react ions to space flight. The NASA effort to monitor and maintain crew health, system performance, and environmental integrity in space flight is a sophis ticated and coordinated program of telemedicine combining cutting-edge engi neering with medical expertise. As missions have increased in complexity, N ASA telemedicine capabilities have grown apace, underlying its role in the field. At the same time, the terrestrial validation of telemedicine technol ogies to bring healthcare to remote locations provides feedback, improvemen t, and enhancement of the space program. As NASA progresses in its space ex ploration program, astronauts will join missions lasting months, even years , that take them millions of miles from home. These long-duration missions necessitate further technological breakthroughs in tele-operations and auto nomous technology. Earth-based monitoring will no longer be realtime, requi ring telemedicine capabilities to advance with future explorers as they tra vel deeper into space. The International Space Station will serve as a test bed for the telemedicine technologies to enable future missions as well as improve the quality of healthcare delivery on Earth.