Updates to the NASA human system risk management process for space exploration

Abstract

This paper describes updates to NASA’s approach for assessing and mitigating spaceflight-induced risks to human health and performance. This approach continues to evolve to meet dynamically changing risk environments: lunar missions are currently being designed and the ultimate destination will be Mars. Understanding the risks that astronauts will face during a Mars mission will depend on building an evidence base that informs not only how the humans respond to the challenges of the spaceflight environment, but also how systems and vehicles can be designed to support human capabilities and limitations. This publication documents updates to the risk management process used by the Human System Risk Board at NASA and includes changes to the likelihood and consequence matrix used by the board, the design reference mission categories and parameters, and the standardized evaluation of the levels of evidence that the board accepts when setting risk posture. Causal diagramming, using directed acyclic graphs, provides all stakeholders with the current understanding of how each risk proceeds from a spaceflight hazard to a mission-level outcome. This standardized approach enables improved communication among stakeholders and delineates how and where more knowledge can improve perspective of human system risks and which countermeasures can best mitigate these risks.

Enabling Human Space Exploration Missions Through Progressively Earth Independent Medical Operations (EIMO)

“…Additionally, computer-based medical decision support tools can help increase the level of onboard KSA through autonomous diagnostic and treatment algorithms that can assist the onboard care providers [17] .…”

“…The CMO and medical system will need to make accurate diagnoses and anticipate the questions of specialists on the ground to streamline communications and limit the need for repeated back and forth exchanges. If the CMO becomes the patient, the medical system will need either a similarly highly trained backup CMO or a nearly autonomous ability to support the remaining crewmembers [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] .…”

Long-term space missions’ effects on the human organism: what we do know and what requires further research

“…( Romero and Francisco, 2020 ). NASA’s human risk management is based on specialized protocols that determine the risk associated with specific threats for each human body part depending on the risk associated with external factors ( Antonsen et al, 2023 ). The importance of individual elements of “the big 5 hazards” on the human body is discussed in individual chapters.…”

Ocular complaints and diagnoses in spaceflight

“…The NASA human system risk board (HSRB) has long focused on trauma and acute medical illness as a key contributor to high level in-flight medical risk [1][2][3][4] . The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) have sponsored multiple efforts with the goal of mitigating risks to human health on long-term expeditions beyond LEO (Moon, Mars, and beyond) 4 .…”