The present paper deals with prenosological diagnostics as methodology of an esti mation of functional states of an organism. Highlighted is its first practical application in space medicine, at long influence of stressful factors, including such factor unusual to terrestrial organisms as weightlessness. Demonstrated is the methodology's wide recognition and use in various areas of medicine and physiology. Health is consid ered herein as process of the continuous adaptation of an organism to environment conditions. Thus, shown is the connection between transition from health to illness and decrease in adaptable possibilities. Transition from health to illness, an exhaus tion and failure of mechanisms of adaptation are described in detail. The classifi cation dividing the prenosological states into physiological norm, prenosological, premorbid and pathological states is used herein. Prenosological studies including diagnostics, screening and control are considered.