Updates to the NASA human system risk management process for space exploration

NPJ Microgravity · 6 authors, 5 centres

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TL;DR

This paper describes updated methods for NASA to assess and mitigate health and performance risks for human spaceflight.

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The process includes defined risk impact categories for in-mission, flight recertification, and long-term health outcomes. A revised Level of Evidence (LoE) scoring system moves from correlative to causative criteria to evaluate diverse evidence types. The framework uses causal diagramming via directed acyclic graphs to communicate risk pathways. The authors note that the process is designed to evolve with changing mission parameters and that its detailed nature may not be directly transferable to commercial entities without adaptation.

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other

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public health

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10485075

Updates to the NASA human system risk management process for space exploration

NPJ Microgravity

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ABSTRACT

This paper describes updates to NASA’s approach for assessing and mitigating spaceflight-induced risks to human health and performance. This approach continues to evolve to meet dynamically changing risk environments: lunar missions are currently being designed and the ultimate destination will be Mars. Understanding the risks that astronauts will face during a Mars mission will depend on building an evidence base that informs not only how the humans respond to the challenges of the spaceflight environment, but also how systems and vehicles can be designed to support human capabilities and limitations. This publication documents updates to the risk management process used by the Human System Risk Board at NASA and includes changes to the likelihood and consequence matrix used by the board, the design reference mission categories and parameters, and the standardized evaluation of the levels of evidence that the board accepts when setting risk posture. Causal diagramming, using directed acyclic graphs, provides all stakeholders with the current understanding of how each risk proceeds from a spaceflight hazard to a mission-level outcome. This standardized approach enables improved communication among stakeholders and delineates how and where more knowledge can improve perspective of human system risks and which countermeasures can best mitigate these risks.

CITATION EXPORT

Erik L. Antonsen, Erin Connell, Wilma Anton et al.. Updates to the NASA human system risk management process for space exploration. NPJ Microgravity. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00305-z

AUTHORS

6 · 5 CENTRES

Erik L. Antonsen, Erin Connell, Wilma Anton, Robert J. Reynolds, Daniel M. Buckland, Mary Van Baalen

1https://ror.org/02pttbw34grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XCenter for Space Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
2Leidos Innovations, Houston, TX USA
3https://ror.org/01g1xae87grid.481680.30000 0004 0634 8729KBR, Houston, TX USA
4https://ror.org/00py81415grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke University, Durham, NC USA
5grid.419085.10000 0004 0613 2864NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX USA