NASA, NSBRI Select 29 Proposals To Support Crew Health On Missions

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May 22, 2012, 02:00 ET

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) of Houston will fund 29 proposals to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future deep space exploration missions.

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The selected proposals are from 25 institutions in 11 states and will receive a total of about $26 million over a one- to three-year period.

A major area of emphasis for both HRP and NSBRI has been the recently identified issue of visual impairment in astronauts during and after long-duration spaceflight. In addition, eight of the selected proposals will examine several facets of this poorly understood syndrome.

HRP and NSBRI research provides knowledge and technologies to improve human health and performance during space exploration and develops possible countermeasures for problems experienced during space travel. The organizations' goals are to help astronauts complete their challenging missions successfully and preserve astronauts' health throughout their lives.

HRP quantifies crew health and performance risks during spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners and system developers can use to monitor and mitigate the risks. These studies often lead to advancements in understanding and treating illnesses in patients on Earth.

The 29 projects were selected from 104 proposals received in response to the research announcement "Research and Technology Development to Support Crew Health and Performance in Space Exploration Missions." Scientific and technical experts from academia and government reviewed the proposals. NASA will manage 14 of the projects; NSBRI will manage 15.

NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The Institute's science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.

For a complete list of the selected principal investigators, organizations and proposals, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/LlGsLz

For information about NASA's Human Research Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/humanresearch/

For information about NSBRI's science, technology and education programs, visit:

http://www.nsbri.org

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA