Author Topic: Space medicine in the commercial era  (Read 1239 times)

Offline enzo

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Space medicine in the commercial era
« on: 02/05/2017 11:05 pm »
There have been few medical incidents in space because astronauts thus far have been preselected for their health, and there have been very few astronauts, and strict protocols have been in place to keep them healthy.

If or when the commercialization of spaceflight occurs, followed by the commercialization of space stations, one can assume that there will be a greater number of medical issues arising in space.

How will this be handled? Will there be a low threshold to deorbit people if there is even a small chance that they need a doctor? Will the cost of deorbiting people spur advancements in telemedicine and automated medical services in space?

Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Space medicine in the commercial era
« Reply #1 on: 07/07/2023 12:46 am »
With the privately-funded SpaceX Starship being intended to take people to Mars, the question is whether commercial medicinal firms could create novel space medicine to allow people looking to travel aboard Starship to overcome hazards to their health while traveling to Mars.
« Last Edit: 07/07/2023 12:57 am by Vahe231991 »

Offline Coastal Ron

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Re: Space medicine in the commercial era
« Reply #2 on: 07/07/2023 01:55 am »
With the privately-funded SpaceX Starship being intended to take people to Mars, the question is whether commercial medicinal firms could create novel space medicine to allow people looking to travel aboard Starship to overcome hazards to their health while traveling to Mars.

Why would "commercial medicinal firms" care about the health hazards of people going to Mars? They predominately focus on health issues that have large populations of potential users - and a good chance of profiting from the solutions.

Also, you are assuming that:

1. The issues that do come up during transit to Mars will be diagnosed quickly enough to understand it happened during transit and not before or after the trip.

2. Whatever issues that come up during the transit to Mars is treatable by known medical treatments.

3. That science can quickly figure out what the treatment will be.

There are a plethora of rare diseases that are not well understood and don't have effective treatments. Issues that afflict humans traveling to Mars will not break into the top 50%.

Every person traveling to Mars will sign a medical waiver, and they will all become part of a grand experiment that will likely take years, if not decades, before any results will be able to be discerned. I'm sure there will be well stocked medical supplies that will available for the most popular afflictions, but if there are rare issues that come up, there will be limited alternatives for that person.
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Tags: Starship medicine 
 

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