Risk of Reduced Crew Health and Performance Due to Hypoxia
1 min readRisk of Reduced Crew Health and Performance Due to Hypoxia Astronauts Michael R. (Rich) Clifford and Linda M. Godwin, the assigned space-walking mission specialists for STS-76, go through a “pre-breathing” period on the Space Shuttle Atlantis’ middeck. This practice is normal procedure for space-walkers in preparation for their Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and the wearing of their Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU). The photograph was taken with a 35mm camera by one of the crew members. Human exploration missions will require robust, flexible Extravehicular Activity (EVA) architecture protocols that include the use of a reduced-pressure cabin atmosphere enabling staged denitrogenation. Use of this atmosphere could result in compromised health and performance to the crewmember due to exposure to mild hypobaric hypoxia; of most concern are the potential effects on the increased intracranial pressure, visual impairment, cognitive performance, sensorimotor dysfunction, oxidative damage, and sleep quality. In addition to hypobaric hypoxia associated with staged...