Description: Advancements in human spaceflight need the development of new training capabilities that prioritize the well-being and survival of crew members, with medical ability being a critical part. To address this need, the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder's Bioastronautics (BIOASTRO) Group and CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine (ADEM) have collaboratively set up an educational program in space medicine.

This program has been strategically designed to contribute to the progress of human spaceflight endeavors, both by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and commercial spaceflight companies. For the upcoming Fall 2023 semester, a team known as the Medical Emergency Designers for Interplanetary Crisis Situations (MEDICS) has been tasked with designing and constructing a Mars Emergency Clinic (MEC) to supply essential support to the MiSSE course during the field simulation.

This innovative project will aid in CU's commitment to preparing the next generation of space medicine professionals for the challenges of interplanetary exploration.This semester, the team's primary focus is centered around several critical aims. First, the team plans to revise the existing conceptual design of the MEC to lay the groundwork for a high-fidelity construction. Next, the team shall construct a high-fidelity, fully operational MEC tailored for use at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), encompassing an operational hatch and fully equipped examination area. Following this, the team shall conduct comprehensive human factors testing for the MEC, with a specific emphasis on evaluating the effectiveness of the examination and treatment area and execute functional testing to assess the overall functionality and performance of the MEC.

Sponsor:  CU Bioastronautics and CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine (ADEM)

Advisor: Col. James Voss

PM: Ben Fohr

Team Roster: Brett Bennett, Kintan Surghani, Kyle Preiss, James Perkdus, Sebastian Boysen, Avery Gillespie, Skycar Edwards, Alicia Wu, Kiley Beckwith, John Magardino

Project Files: