Addressing the Space-Based Medical Facility Capability<br /> Gap with Project SOLACE: Space Orbiting Lifeboat And<br /> medical Care during Evacuation

Abstract

Planners for future manned deep space missions frequently address the possibility of a medical emergency far from the sanctuary of Earth. Project SOLACE is a high-fidelity simulation of just such an emergency, beginning on the lunar surface and culminating in return to Earth. Central to the project is a medical ship designed to keep station in lunar orbit, readily available to retrieve injured astronauts from the surface, provide onboard medical care and transport them back to Earth. Per US military medical doctrine and its definition of "roles," the medical ship is designed to provide role 2 and 3 care. Specifically, role 2 is defined as primary care, trauma management, and emergency medicine; role 3 encompasses resuscitation, initial wound surgery, damage control surgery, and postoperative treatment. Role 1, or first responder treatment, would be simulated on the lunar surface. This would stabilize the patient for ascent and provide as much critical care as possible during the "golden hour" of emergency medicine using portable diagnostic equipment, medication and basic hemostatic agents for trauma treatment. After lunar ascent and vehicle docking, the vehicle would begin Trans Earth Injection. During the postoperative period and transit, autonomous monitoring and responsive Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) would keep incapacitated crew stabilized and adequately nourished. SOLACE would ultimately return the crew to Earth, conducting simulations of role 2 and 3 care in transit. Using NASA's Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 as a blueprint for future manned missions to deep space destinations, Project SOLACE would address acknowledged capability gaps, namely a "lifeboat" capability, artificial gravity, and remote medical care for astronauts. It would capitalize on the proximity of the Moon and cislunar space to provide a high-fidelity simulation of a deep space mission, resulting in critical system evaluation and feedback to better address those gaps. Further, SOLACE is designed as a "plug and play" module compatible with NASA's interplanetary spacecraft architecture that supports interoperability and reusability, themes central to future missions. It uses the proposed Hercules lander to retrieve injured crew and the Trans Earth Injection (TEI) module resident in the Mars Transfer Vehicle design. Onboard medical equipment would be autonomous or teleoperated, with a gradual phase-out of the latter in favor of the former as technology matures. Finally, SOLACE design would incorporate a Lifting Body Reentry Vehicle to minimize g-forces on injured crew during Earth atmospheric reentry. Nomenclature ac = centripetal acceleration g0 = Earth gravitational force

Surgery in space

“…These risks may be mitigated by use of armoured body protection. Nevertheless, modifications of existing Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) protocols, , and contingency evacuation plans must be considered for all crewed spaceflights.…”