JOINT RUSSIAN-USA FIELD TEST: IMPLICATIONS FOR DECONDITIONED CREW FOLLOWING LONG DURATION SPACEFLIGHT

A joint NASA and Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) study, designated as the Field Test, was designed to investigate how the immediate post-flight effects of long duration spaceflight impact performance on vestibular and sensorimotor-related functional tasks. One unique feature of this study was the use of functional tests typically associated with everyday living to track recovery. These tasks are also expected of crewmembers during recovery operations and include sit-to-stand and prone-to-stand transitions, translating objects, and jumping down from a platform. This paper provides an overview of the methodology used for the Field Test. As an example of the functional deficits observed, we present results for a seat egress and walking task that involved turning 180 degrees and stepping over obstacles. We observed significant increases in the time-to-complete this task on landing day. We recommend this task being incorporated into Standard Measures to evaluate the efficacy of countermeasures. The decrements observed at landing day have implications for the deconditioned crew during exploration missions where crewmembers will be unassisted after landing on a planetary surface.