title: NASA's human system risk management approach and its applicability to commercial spaceflight.
abstract: As planning continues for commercial spaceflight, attention is turned to NASA to assess whether its human system risk management approach can be applied to mitigate the risks associated with commercial suborbital and orbital flights. NASA uses a variety of methods to assess the risks to the human system based on their likelihood and consequences. In this article, we review these methods and categorize the risks in the system as "definite," "possible," or "least" concern for commercial spaceflight. As with career astronauts, these risks will be primarily mitigated by screening and environmental control. Despite its focus on long-duration exploration missions, NASA's human system risk management approach can serve as a preliminary knowledge base to help medical planners prepare for commercial spaceflights.
authors.affiliation: NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Mail Code SD2, Houston, TX 77058, USA. jennifer.t.law@nasa.gov
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Mathers
authors.forename: Susan R E
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Fondy
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vanderploeg
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kerstman
mesh_terms: D018480:Astronauts; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013026:Space Flight; D018489:Space Motion Sickness / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration