Medical Problems Involved in Orbital Space Flight

After ana lyz ing t h e var ious k i n d s of space ope ra t i ons t h a t m i g h t be expected in t h e n e a r or r e m o t e f u t u r e (space equ iva len t flight, c i r c u m p l a n e t a r y space flight, a n d i n t e r p l ane t a ry space t ravel) , t h e second phase*—circumplaneta ry space flight or o rb i t a l space flight'—is chosen as a p l a t fo rm for t h e d iscuss ion of s o m e of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t med ica l p r o b l e m s involved in space ope ra t i ons . F i r s t , t h e s t a t e of weight lessness is d iscussed w i t h regard to i t s effect u p o n t h e genera l wel l -being of t h e o c c u p a n t s of a sa te l l i te vehicle a n d in r ega rd to i t s s e n s o m o t o r effects. In c o n n e c t i o n h e r e w i t h , t h e op t ica l s i t u a t i o n is considered wi th regard to t h e p roper t i e s of t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a n d t h e visual a p p e a r a n c e of t h e l i gh t sources . F u r t h e r m o r e , physiological d a y n i g h t cycling is d iscussed in a n env i ronm e n t whe re t h e r e is n o n a t u r a l day a n d n i g h t . And finally some p r o b l e m s involved in h u m a n eng inee r ing of t h e space cab in conce rn ing p res su r i za t ion , supply of oxygen a n d remova l of ca rbon dioxide, p h o t o s y n t h e t i c gas exchange , a n d t h e event of s u d d e n decompress ion of t h e cab in a re d iscussed. Some of t he se p r o b l e m s a re p re sen t ly u n d e r s tudy in a n e x p e r i m e n t a l space cab in s i m u l a t o r .