Science
The Program
The operations of the HRP-C have been organized into four tracks which are complementary by design. Each track possesses its own unique implementation strategy. For cohesion, each track has a relationship with other tracks. They are intended to generate a comprehensive and growing data set that expands the knowledge pool that serves civilians entering space. The tracks include:
Collectively, these form a foundation upon which a comprehensive HRP-C is being built. Their function is briefly summarized below.
Track 1
Comprehensive Measures, & Monitoring
Track 1 research does not target specific diseases, exposures, or risks, but rather casts a wide net, whereby signals and patterns can be detected across missions. These data are expected to lead to novel hypotheses and countermeasures. It is also a means to accelerate the rate of discovery. This track is designed to apply a comprehensive set of measures to as many of the commercial missions as possible. This allows for the comparison of high dimensional data sets across all missions, regardless of mission parameters or flight provider.
The approach also enables the ability to compare missions across countries, as other countries adopt this harmonized methods approach. This will allow for the ongoing collection of some of the most comprehensive set of measures to be obtained in human spaceflight.
The value will be to identify the mechanisms associated with the human response to space and develop novel countermeasures (solutions) for all who enter space in the future. It also provides for a full set of multiomics measures (genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, microbiome, exposome, etc.), as a backdrop for all Track 2 research that is hypothesis-driven and asks a specific research question. This includes comprehensive physiological and behavioral measures.
The approach also enables the ability to compare missions across countries, as other countries adopt this harmonized methods approach. This will allow for the ongoing collection of some of the most comprehensive set of measures to be obtained in human spaceflight.
The value will be to identify the mechanisms associated with the human response to space and develop novel countermeasures (solutions) for all who enter space in the future. It also provides for a full set of multiomics measures (genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, microbiome, exposome, etc.), as a backdrop for all Track 2 research that is hypothesis-driven and asks a specific research question. This includes comprehensive physiological and behavioral measures.
Track 1
Comprehensive Measures & Monitoring
Track 2
Spaceflight Risks & Targeted Research
Track 2 is focused on known spaceflight-related medical and behavioral risks. The track is hypothesis driven, asking specific research questions that require validated, reliable, and sensitive measures and established experimental controls. Each study is funded through and is executed by the team submitting the research proposal. The HRP-C Human Safety Risk Board (HSRB) is central to establishing research priorities so that the more pressing problems of civilian spaceflight can be addressed in the timeliest manner. Note that the term spaceflight when used henceforth includes spaceflight and space habitation.
Track 2
Spaceflight Risks & Targeted Research
Track 3
Operations, Programs & Capabilities
Track 3 establishes a set of fundamental capabilities necessary for a robust, rigorous, and sustained civilian research program. Track 3 is not a research track in and of itself. Rather, Track 3 is the backbone upon which the operations of Track 1 and 2 reside. This includes such things as an HRP-C HSRB, an institutional review board (IRB-C), space health reporting system (SHRS), human specimen biorepository, civilian spaceflight data repository, historical archive, and others. Track 3 will also contain a dedicated effort to translate space-related discoveries into Earth-based clinical medicine applications, so that the benefits of these space-directed expenditures will feed back to Earth in a formalized manner.
Track 3
Operations, Programs & Capabilities
Track 4
Complementary Technologies & Research
Track 4 provides an opportunity to investigate topics that are outside the primary focus areas of human health and performance, but which could significantly impact the ability of civilians to safely and successfully live and work in space, or to travel to space for a visit. Example topics include research on the design and operations of commercial spaceflight vehicles, environmental control and life support systems, space sustainability, on-orbit data sharing, active debris removal, point-to-point transportation through space, commercial spaceport research, workforce development, and space policy and market research.
Track 4
Complementary Technologies & Research
Priorities and Processes
The HRP-C is continually engaged in a process of priority setting, so that it best meets the needs of all concerned with human spaceflight research. A foundation of this process is the Human System Risk Board (HSRB) for Commercial Spaceflight (HSRB-C)
More than any specific line of research, the HRP-C requires a process by which to decide on research directions. This is especially true in the early stages of civilian human spaceflight, where data are sparse and the experience base is meager. The Human System Risk Board for Civilian spaceflight (HSRB-C) fulfills this role. The most important task of this body is to provide a standardized, rigorous, and transparent mechanism for identifying, categorizing, and prioritizing risks. “Risks” in this case might include those tracked by NASA through their HSRB (and addressed by research in the NASA Human Research Program). Some of these NASA risks might not be applicable to civilian spaceflight and others would undoubtedly need to be added (including a large category of preexisting medical conditions, parsed into subcategories).
HSRB-C is modeled – with appropriate modifications – on the NASA HSRB, which states: “The Human System Risk Board (HSRB) manages the process by which scientific evidence is utilized to establish and reassess the postures of the various risks to the Human System during all of the various types of existing or anticipated crewed missions.”
HSRB-C critical tasks, include but are not limited to:
More than any specific line of research, the HRP-C requires a process by which to decide on research directions. This is especially true in the early stages of civilian human spaceflight, where data are sparse and the experience base is meager. The Human System Risk Board for Civilian spaceflight (HSRB-C) fulfills this role. The most important task of this body is to provide a standardized, rigorous, and transparent mechanism for identifying, categorizing, and prioritizing risks. “Risks” in this case might include those tracked by NASA through their HSRB (and addressed by research in the NASA Human Research Program). Some of these NASA risks might not be applicable to civilian spaceflight and others would undoubtedly need to be added (including a large category of preexisting medical conditions, parsed into subcategories).
HSRB-C is modeled – with appropriate modifications – on the NASA HSRB, which states: “The Human System Risk Board (HSRB) manages the process by which scientific evidence is utilized to establish and reassess the postures of the various risks to the Human System during all of the various types of existing or anticipated crewed missions.”
HSRB-C critical tasks, include but are not limited to:
Resources
During the four-year period of technical deliberations of the various HRP-C committees, a series of reports were developed. The Phase I report summarizes the proceedings, concepts, and summary findings of the committees through that initial phase of HRP-C conceptualization. The Phase II report represents the next step in the evolution of the HRP-C concept and is presented in far greater detail than that found in the Phase I report. The Phase II report outlines the most current conceptual thinking as to how the HRP-C is constructed and how its operations are proceeding. It is important to note that, although the document is lengthy, it has been simplified in relation to the actual operations of the HRP-C today. Note that both reports contain a list of committee members and thought leaders (including their affiliations) who were part of the HRP-C’s developmental cycle.
The IAASS-OSU report is a summary of the HRP-C event held at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and cosponsored by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety. It was at this event where over 100 thought leaders in the spaceflight community were invited to (either in person or virtually) listen to the HRP-C leadership and allied faculty present the HRP-C concepts in detail, review the HRP-C initiative technical and operational details, and offer their professional input.
A subsequent report will include a condensed list of individuals, academic centers, government agencies, and companies that attended the IAASS-OSU event.
The IAASS-OSU report is a summary of the HRP-C event held at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and cosponsored by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety. It was at this event where over 100 thought leaders in the spaceflight community were invited to (either in person or virtually) listen to the HRP-C leadership and allied faculty present the HRP-C concepts in detail, review the HRP-C initiative technical and operational details, and offer their professional input.
A subsequent report will include a condensed list of individuals, academic centers, government agencies, and companies that attended the IAASS-OSU event.