"Human Space Exploration, while generating valuable terrestrial benefit, imparts significant risk to the health and performance of the crew. Current health and medical management systems for Space rely on earth-tethered models including telemedicine and episodic testing with remote analysis. Information about inflight astronaut health is also obtained in multiple research protocols but the data is not available to astronauts until after the mission is completed. Upcoming missions with extended duration and distance, such as to the Moon and Mars, pose increased health risk and significant logistical challenges which require development of earth-independent capabilities. These missions necessitate a shift from augmented to autonomous self-health and medical management, which is the focus of our lab. These same remote capabilities are relevant to our goals of developing effective 'distributed care' models on earth.

The Health Sense Matrix for Space fuels the Precision Space Health Continuum, being developed to support optimal health and performance of Human Space Explorers. This integrated 'health sense' system will provide dynamic, nonintrusive, multiparametric sensing of relevant astronaut health metrics in the context of their various environments (spacecraft, EVA suit, planetary module). The Health Sense Matrix for Space will provide inflight health status of each crew member and guide decisions by Astronauts, Crew Medical Officers, Flight Surgeons and Mission Directors. The additional in-mission physical and behavioral data generated will augment risk prediction and countermeasure plans as well as resource allocation for future missions.  

Planning for the comprehensive Health Sense Matrix for Space necessitates a deep multidisciplinary exploration of the relevant complexities, challenges, precedents, evidence, requirements, development and validation strategies. Our multidisciplinary team, in collaboration with NASA experts and informed by initiatives underway at NASA and in commercial space entities, has undertaken Phase I of this initiative with generous support from the NASA HRP program, Translational Research Institute for Space Health.  The Health Sense Matrix for Space has the potential to efficiently optimize autonomous and individualized health and medical management in Space with direct applicability to terrestrial health care settings."                                                                                                                                        Aenor Sawyer, MD