A NASA Inspection Day Success Story

July 29, l998

One of the projects I am working on now is an idea conceived by Dr. Robert Rice of the Institute of Somatic Sciences. It is for a new advanced spacesuit and software to be used when man goes back to the Moon and for longer stays in space when man goes to Mars. This project is called the Somatic Science Simulation (S3 Project). S3 is the first real-time, interactive virtual human model. It is also the first and only NASA-JSC Inspection Day success story, where an actual partnership was formed to begin development of a new project.

NASA Inspection Day is where NASA invites surrounding businesses, industry and educators to come and see NASA technology firsthand in the hopes of forming partnerships in existing and new technology. The partnership is a two-way street where NASA also investigates what businesses, industry and academia are developing that may meet NASA's unique requirements.

The objective is to model the entire human body, including all visceral components (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and all other internal organs). This particular project is needed to support going back to the Moon and going on to Mars. It will simulate all the different variables (what ifs) that can happen to the body in differing degrees of gravitational forces and how to prepare for them. The Moon has 1/6 the gravity that the Earth has, and Mars has 1/3 the gravity that the Earth has.

We will put these variables in the computer, along with the astronauts characteristics and variables -- then we can do simulations of how gravity affects the body. This will be very useful when man goes to Mars, which will take between 6 months and 3 years depending on the flight mechanics to define the trajectory. During this length of time, the astronauts neuromuscular skeletal system will lose minerals and begin atrophy. Atrophy is the wasting away through a lack of nutrition or use. This will help determine what the various gravitational forces will do to the neuromuscular skeletal system. We will be able to use this information to develop counter-measures to react and compensate for this. This also puts us in a position to do telemedicine, where we can monitor the astronauts here at JSC or the Texas Medical Center or wherever.

This is all very cutting edge technology and will be awhile in the making, but it is now a work in progress. This is NASA Research and Development (R&D) at its best.