About Us
What is the HRP-C™?
The Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight (HRP-C) is the foundational program to address the health, safety, and performance of civilian space travelers in the commercial space sector. Various government organizations such as NASA, JAXA, ESA, ASI, CSA, Roscosmos, and others have foundational human research programs addressing the needs of professional astronauts engaged in exploration missions. However, to date, there has been no dedicated effort with sufficient scope to address the widespread needs of civilian space travelers. The HRP-C has been established to fill this gap.
In creating the first comprehensive foundational human research program for civilians, the HRP-C recognizes the numerous organizations and programs that currently address specific forms of human research within the civilian space medicine community. The HRP-C effort welcomes collaborations with these groups. Where HRP-C differs is in the comprehensive spectrum of needs that are addressed for civilian space travelers of all nations and for the space industry as a whole. This presents the opportunity for harmonization of methods across mission types and flight providers, yielding the ability to more reliably compare findings from disparate mission conditions. These capabilities are expected to more rapidly accelerate and scale advances in the field to the benefit of our emergent space traveling population. Key among these is the continual development of new countermeasures aimed at supporting civilian health, safety, and performance in space.
The HRP-C was established during a four-year period of continual deliberations involving some 200 of the most respected thought leaders in the field of human spaceflight, including many international colleagues. This was done with the support and cooperation of the US National Space Council. While the HRP-C has been established with U.S. roots, it welcomes potential collaborators from all nations and persuasions to reach out and see how the concepts of the HRP-C may bring value to their respective organizations. This is true for government space agencies, academic centers, spaceflight industry members, and associations (societies).
While there are many parties that will interact with the HRP-C, there are four primary stakeholders whose needs are held as central to a thriving research effort that will lead to the successful expansion of commercial spaceflight. These are:
In creating the first comprehensive foundational human research program for civilians, the HRP-C recognizes the numerous organizations and programs that currently address specific forms of human research within the civilian space medicine community. The HRP-C effort welcomes collaborations with these groups. Where HRP-C differs is in the comprehensive spectrum of needs that are addressed for civilian space travelers of all nations and for the space industry as a whole. This presents the opportunity for harmonization of methods across mission types and flight providers, yielding the ability to more reliably compare findings from disparate mission conditions. These capabilities are expected to more rapidly accelerate and scale advances in the field to the benefit of our emergent space traveling population. Key among these is the continual development of new countermeasures aimed at supporting civilian health, safety, and performance in space.
The HRP-C was established during a four-year period of continual deliberations involving some 200 of the most respected thought leaders in the field of human spaceflight, including many international colleagues. This was done with the support and cooperation of the US National Space Council. While the HRP-C has been established with U.S. roots, it welcomes potential collaborators from all nations and persuasions to reach out and see how the concepts of the HRP-C may bring value to their respective organizations. This is true for government space agencies, academic centers, spaceflight industry members, and associations (societies).
While there are many parties that will interact with the HRP-C, there are four primary stakeholders whose needs are held as central to a thriving research effort that will lead to the successful expansion of commercial spaceflight. These are:
The HRP-C was established with contributions from individuals who reflect the interests and expertise of each of these four groups. In practice, we intend that the collective vision of each of these four interest groups will converge to form that which could never be formed by any one group alone. Such a collaborative vision, while not without challenges, is expected to accelerate our emergence in this next wave of evolving our space faring civilization. As such, the depth of our commitment to this collaboration has the ability to shape the next 50 years of humans traveling, living, working, and thriving in space.
Leadership
Michael A Schmidt, PhD, President, Founder
Dr. Michael A Schmidt is the founder, CEO, & Chief Scientific Officer of Sovaris Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado. He is among those leading the advancement of precision medicine in human spaceflight and high-performance operations on Earth. Dr. Schmidt has also been instrumental in development of the field of multiomics applied to human spaceflight (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, etc.). These findings are highlighted in the special issue, “Space Omics,” published in Nature in June 2024. This work includes missions such the NASA Twins Study of One Year in Space, SpaceX Inspiration4, SpaceX Polaris Dawn, SpaceX Axiom-1, SpaceX Axiom-2, SpaceX Axiom-3, and forthcoming orbital missions in development. His work in functional genomics and functionally characterized molecular networks has been central to his team’s development of the Astronaut Digital Twin (ADT), an AI platform for advancing prediction and personalization in human spaceflight (rooted in the mathematics of Bayesian Inference). He has also developed a working pharmacogenomics methodology to personalize drug prescribing for astronauts.
Working in collaboration with the US National Space Council since 2020, Drs. Michael Marge, Mark Shelhamer, and Michael Schmidt led development of the foundational work that would become the Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight (HRP-C). This effort enlisted the input of almost 200 thought leaders in human spaceflight today, ranging from NASA, JAXA, ESA, ISA, DLR, numerous academic centers, and industry leaders, such as Blue Origin, SpaceX, Axiom Space, Sierra Space, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and others.
Beyond spaceflight, Dr. Schmidt has three decades of experience working with elite performers in extreme environments, which includes molecular profiling and countermeasure efforts for humans ranging from wilderness medicine, S.W.A.T., high altitude ascent, military Special Operations Forces, Naval and Air Force aviators, Navy submariners, Olympic athletes, and professional athletes (NFL, NBA, etc.).
Dr. Schmidt is the editor of two forthcoming textbooks, “Building a Space Faring Civilization” and “The Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight,” both published by Academic Press (Elsevier). He is the former President of the Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association (currently on the Board of Governors), is the President of the Space Precision Medicine Association, and is on the Space Exploration Committee for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Schmidt did his Ph.D. research in Molecular Medicine & Biochemistry at NASA Ames Research Center (under the Chief Medical Officer), which includes one of history’s longest duration hypergravity experiments on NASA’s 20G human centrifuge. He received a second Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Lancaster University, Department of Medical and Sports Science (UK), with pilot work at the University of Cambridge and additional studies in data and models at MIT.
Working in collaboration with the US National Space Council since 2020, Drs. Michael Marge, Mark Shelhamer, and Michael Schmidt led development of the foundational work that would become the Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight (HRP-C). This effort enlisted the input of almost 200 thought leaders in human spaceflight today, ranging from NASA, JAXA, ESA, ISA, DLR, numerous academic centers, and industry leaders, such as Blue Origin, SpaceX, Axiom Space, Sierra Space, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and others.
Beyond spaceflight, Dr. Schmidt has three decades of experience working with elite performers in extreme environments, which includes molecular profiling and countermeasure efforts for humans ranging from wilderness medicine, S.W.A.T., high altitude ascent, military Special Operations Forces, Naval and Air Force aviators, Navy submariners, Olympic athletes, and professional athletes (NFL, NBA, etc.).
Dr. Schmidt is the editor of two forthcoming textbooks, “Building a Space Faring Civilization” and “The Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight,” both published by Academic Press (Elsevier). He is the former President of the Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association (currently on the Board of Governors), is the President of the Space Precision Medicine Association, and is on the Space Exploration Committee for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Schmidt did his Ph.D. research in Molecular Medicine & Biochemistry at NASA Ames Research Center (under the Chief Medical Officer), which includes one of history’s longest duration hypergravity experiments on NASA’s 20G human centrifuge. He received a second Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Lancaster University, Department of Medical and Sports Science (UK), with pilot work at the University of Cambridge and additional studies in data and models at MIT.
Michael Marge, EdD, Vice President, Founder
Dr. Michael Marge is a Research Professor Emeritus, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, SUNY Upstate Medical University and former Dean and Professor, Syracuse University. After receiving his doctorate from Harvard University with post-doctoral studies at Columbia University, he taught courses in special education and rehabilitation and public health. In addition, he provided clinical health services for individuals with sensory, cognitive, and physical disabilities. His clinical research on individuals with disabilities resulted in the concept of the prevention of “secondary conditions.” This proposed strategy transformed the field of rehabilitation medicine because it focused on the prevention of additional health complications in persons with disabilities. As a Member of the National Council on Disability, he was one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act, writing the sections on telecommunications for deaf and communicatively disabled and on accessible transportation in the community and throughout the Nation.
He was the author of a Congressional bill (with Congressman Silvo O. Conte/Mass.) that created the Division of Health and Disability at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016, at the request of NASA, he expanded the National Institutes of Health/NASA Human Research Collaboration and created the NIH/NASA Collaborative Research Interest Group with representatives from each of 22 cooperating NIH Institutes and Centers. In 2020, he initiated the focus on human research to effectively prepare civilians in spaceflight and space habitation. Working with the National Space Council and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, he played the key role in conducting the CSF/MITRE Workshop on a human research program for civilians in spaceflight and space habitation. That was followed by his leadership role in expanding the original human research program to the more comprehensive and collaborative Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight (HRP-C).
The HRP-C™ was introduced at the January 2024 IAASS Workshop on the Human Research Program for Civilians in Spaceflight and Space Habitation. Former Scientific and Technical Advisor on Human Space Research for the National Institutes of Health, Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the MITRE Corporation.
He was the author of a Congressional bill (with Congressman Silvo O. Conte/Mass.) that created the Division of Health and Disability at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016, at the request of NASA, he expanded the National Institutes of Health/NASA Human Research Collaboration and created the NIH/NASA Collaborative Research Interest Group with representatives from each of 22 cooperating NIH Institutes and Centers. In 2020, he initiated the focus on human research to effectively prepare civilians in spaceflight and space habitation. Working with the National Space Council and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, he played the key role in conducting the CSF/MITRE Workshop on a human research program for civilians in spaceflight and space habitation. That was followed by his leadership role in expanding the original human research program to the more comprehensive and collaborative Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight (HRP-C).
The HRP-C™ was introduced at the January 2024 IAASS Workshop on the Human Research Program for Civilians in Spaceflight and Space Habitation. Former Scientific and Technical Advisor on Human Space Research for the National Institutes of Health, Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the MITRE Corporation.
Mark Shelhamer, ScD, Vice President, Founder
Dr. Mark Shelhamer is on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he started as a postdoctoral fellow in 1990. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Drexel University, and a doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering from MIT. At MIT he worked on sensorimotor physiology and modeling, including the study of astronaut adaptation to space flight. He then moved to Johns Hopkins where he continued the study of sensorimotor adaptation with an emphasis on the vestibular and oculomotor systems and nonlinear dynamics.
From 2013 to 2016 he served as Chief Scientist for the NASA Human Research Program at the Johnson Space Center. In that role, he oversaw NASA’s research portfolio for maintaining health and performance in long-duration spaceflight. This portfolio spans a range from physiology to psychology, including planning of medical systems and effects of radiation. Since returning to Johns Hopkins, his research has continued in the area of sensorimotor function, which includes experiments on ISS astronauts as well as crews of commercial orbital space flights. He also has a research program devoted to the multi-system and cross-disciplinary interactions that contribute to personal and mission resilience in spaceflight.
George Nield, PhD, Treasurer, Founder
Dr. George C. Nield is the president of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC, which he founded to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space activities. He also serves as the Chairman of the Global Spaceport Alliance. In March of 2022 he flew to space on the fourth human flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Dr. Nield is the former Associate Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation , where he was responsible for licensing and regulating all commercial space launch activities. Earlier in his career, he held engineering roles at the Air Force Flight Test Center and the Orbital Sciences Corporation. He is also a former assistant professor and research director at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Dr. Nield also served as the manager of the Flight Integration Office for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, and an MBA from George Washington University. He is also a Flight Test Engineering graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School. Dr. Nield is a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Dr. Nield is the former Associate Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation , where he was responsible for licensing and regulating all commercial space launch activities. Earlier in his career, he held engineering roles at the Air Force Flight Test Center and the Orbital Sciences Corporation. He is also a former assistant professor and research director at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Dr. Nield also served as the manager of the Flight Integration Office for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, and an MBA from George Washington University. He is also a Flight Test Engineering graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School. Dr. Nield is a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Mary Cull, Secretary, Founder
Mary’s expertise in the commercial space industry began with her assignment as a Special Advisor for the Office of Space Commerce, within the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she coordinated advocacy and outreach and managed commercial and interagency communications and engagement.
Subsequent to her Agency experience, Mary led the formation of The Commercial Space Initiative with the goal of advancing the commercial space sector thought leadership among governmental, commercial, and international partners through research, programming, and advocacy. Since its formation, The Commercial Space Initiative merged with the Institute of Space Commerce where Mary continues to serve as Director of Operations and oversees the Institute’s development, finance, staffing and administrative activities.
Mary is a Founding Member of the Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight which is concerned with creating a safe and healthy environment for civilians to live and work in space.
Subsequent to her Agency experience, Mary led the formation of The Commercial Space Initiative with the goal of advancing the commercial space sector thought leadership among governmental, commercial, and international partners through research, programming, and advocacy. Since its formation, The Commercial Space Initiative merged with the Institute of Space Commerce where Mary continues to serve as Director of Operations and oversees the Institute’s development, finance, staffing and administrative activities.
Mary is a Founding Member of the Human Research Program for Civilian Spaceflight which is concerned with creating a safe and healthy environment for civilians to live and work in space.
Collaborating Organizations
