MEDICINE IN SPACE AND EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Space medicine and medicine in extreme environments represent essential disciplines for ensuring human survival and performance under conditions that surpass normal biological limits. Microgravity, cosmic radiation, prolonged isolation, and limited resources contribute to complex physiological and psychological changes, including muscle atrophy, bone demineralization, immune system dysfunction, and vision impairments. Similarly, extreme environments on Earth—such as polar regions, deep oceans, and remote deserts—share operational challenges such as limited medical evacuation, delayed support, and restricted supplies, making them valuable analogs for testing and adapting medical solutions for space. The challenges intensify with long-duration human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Missions to the Moon and Mars demand advanced levels of medical autonomy due to communication delays, limited resupply opportunities, and the necessity to minimize mass, volume, and energy consumption. Additional concerns include pharmaceutical stability, sterilization, and infection control within closed habitats. Consequently, self-sufficient medical capabilities—preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic—become fundamental for mission success. This paper aims to: (1) examine the key medical challenges in space and extreme environments, (2) analyze the innovative solutions that have been developed—such as portable diagnostic technologies, telemedicine, AI-driven clinical decision support, robotic surgery, and bioprinting—and (3) highlight lessons learned from terrestrial analogs to establish a practical framework for sustainable medical capabilities that will support long-term human exploration.