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Andrea Marchica

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Marchica.

4 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2024

Earth Independent Medical Operations [EIMO] Definition Workshop

As the vanguard of human spaceflight increasingly transitions from one of low Earth orbit (LEO) to Lunar and subsequently Martian missions, there is a commensurate imperative for Earth-based medical authority to transition to space-based assets for the continued assurance of optimal astronaut health and performance. The transition to Earth Independent Medical Operations (EIMO) will be a process that enables progressively resilient systems and crews to reduce risk and enhance wellness and overall mission success for deep space exploration. Terrestrial assets will continue to be paramount in pre-mission screening, planning, maintenance, and prevention. Yet on-board care, response to unexpected medical events, and management of communication delays and dropouts will increasingly become the purview of the crew for primary management.

John Lemery↗
NASA NTRS2024

Shape Memory Alloy Material Maturation (SMA)

The Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) project will evaluate, process, and refine 3 SMA materials that have the potential to provide the properties needed to enable various technologies for human exploration missions on the Moon and Mars. The work will focus on the development and identification of a new SMA alloy targeted at enabling compliant rover tires capable of the extreme demands (high loads, faster drive speeds, extreme cold temperatures and exceedingly long mission durations). The necessary work will include the development of key material testing capabilities that will enable material properties development from 40K – 400K for all properties needed to qualify space flight hardware (Tensile, Fatigue/Durability, etc.). The SMA wire properties will be input into a database and model, ultimately to disseminate material property design data (for 1 alloy only) as parameters for finite element modeling of a tire structure.

Andrea Marchica↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploration Medical Capability - Advancing Medical System Design and Risk-Informed Decision Making for Deep Space Exploration

BACKGROUND: Within NASA’s Human Research Program, the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element has three primary focus areas: clinical and scientific research, systems engineering and trade space analysis, and technology development and demonstrations. These focus areas feed into the overarching goal of enabling progressively Earth-Independent Medical Operations (EIMO), a new paradigm that will be necessary for future Artemis and Mars medical and vehicle systems. This EIMO end state aligns with NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives, which clearly outline the need for NASA deep space exploration missions to reduce their reliance upon Earth and become increasingly autonomous, in preparation for the first human Mars mission. OVERVIEW: To advance exploration medical systems and ultimately, integrated crew health and performance systems, ExMC’s portfolio includes: funding ground development & testing of novel medical capabilities; creation of new approaches for the development of medical protocols and procedures; deployment of innovative technologies into analog environments; technology demonstrations in spaceflight; and eventual transition to operations of new capabilities for deep space exploration missions. The portfolio also includes: pharmaceutical research targeting stability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics; integrated data architectures and clinical decision support tools; and systems engineering and trade space analysis tools to assist NASA in the development of future medical system models as well as the medical system requirements that can serve as a foundation for deep space exploration missions. All of these investments are done in a collaborative and coordinated fashion with other NASA stakeholders, such as the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems – Crew Health and Performance System Capability Leadership Team and the Health and Medical Technical Authority. DISCUSSION: In this presentation, ExMC will provide an overview of our work from across our portfolio, all of which will inform future EIMO efforts at NASA. ExMC’s research and development investments are targeted to reduce the human system risks associated with deep space exploration to the Moon and Mars.

Kris Lehnhardt↗