Review of NASA's space flight health standards-setting process

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), Committee to Review NASA's Space Flight Health Standards examined the process by which NASA establishes space flight health standards for human performance, including assessments of the validity and integrity of the current process and considerations related to ensuring worker safety, integrating stakeholder input, and assuring transparency of the process. The committee found that the initial standards-setting process developed by NASA is a carefully designed evidence-based process that involves input from relevant stakeholders. The recent addition of the independent technical authorities further validates and strengthens the standards-setting process by ensuring that health and medical issues are an integral part of mission planning and implementation. This report delineates the committee's findings and gives recommendations related to these issues for next steps that NASA staff should consider in their quest to foster mission success and maintain the health and well-being of space crew members.