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Section 08 · Telemetry
Crew Health Command Center
A teaching prototype of the screen a flight surgeon might watch from launch to recovery. Pick a crew member, a mission phase and a scenario; numbers turn amber (caution) or red (alert) when they cross phase-aware thresholds. Every threshold links to its source or is labeled illustrative.
Everything within limits. Normal adaptation: fluid shift, light sleep loss.
Playback
Overall statusNominalAll readings within limits
Active alerts00 cautions
Mission clockT−02:06:00Launch day
Time now (ET)--:--:--Eastern Time
Communication delay (one way) [i]None (on the ground)Low Earth orbit profile
Time to definitive medical care [i]Minutes · launch-site medical teamSee sources
Cardiovascular
Electrocardiogram (ECG) · lead II · simulated76 bpm
Respiratory
Oxygen saturation ILL ·
G-load ascent and entry
Acceleration [1] ·
Limit shown for this phase. Weightless in orbit (0 g).
Cabin and suit environment
Radiation
Dose rate (simulated)ILL
0.1µSv/hNominal
Mission dose so far
0.0mSvNominal
Real space weather now (live, not simulated)
Space weather
Geomagnetic storm level: Loading…
Solar radiation level: Loading…
Neuro and balance
Fluids and kidneys
Stone risk index [4] ·
Muscle and bone
Resistive exercise load
—% of preflightNominal
Estimated hip bone loss[6]
0.0%Nominal
Eyes (SANS) [9]
- Visual acuity (near and far)Normal
- Amsler grid (central vision)Normal
- Optic nerve imaging (OCT)Normal
- Retinal photo (fundoscopy)Normal
Spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS): eye and optic nerve changes on long missions. Flags here are simulated.
Behavioral check-ins
Mood ILL4.2
Workload ILL2.6
Self-reported, 1–5. Higher workload is worse; lower mood is worse.
Medications log
- No medications given yet in this simulation.
Alerts and events
- Press Play or choose a phase to start the simulation.
How to read this prototype
- New: supervise a simulated care robot at station, Moon and Mars delays in the ground flight surgeon live console.
- Nominal / Caution / Alert: green, amber, red, always shown with a word too. Thresholds change with the mission phase (for example, a higher heart rate is expected during launch than in orbit).
- Scenarios drive the simulated data: motion sickness on the first day in orbit (NASA reports up to 73% of crewmembers during the first 2–3 days of spaceflight [3]), light-headedness on standing after landing (orthostatic intolerance [10]), a kidney stone in flight [4], and a solar storm.
- Live space weather in the radiation panel is real data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; everything else is simulated.
- Related pages: What happens to the human body in space (what each simulated signal means for the body), In-flight emergencies and evacuation, Radiation dose estimator, Communication delay calculator, Mission timeline explorer.
- Looking ahead: a care robot would read and add to a data stream like this one. See Could a humanoid robot be a medical crewmember? (Part 1 of the robotic care series), and the robot-readable protocol library in the Robotic Medicine section.
Thresholds and sources 28 rows
“Illustrative” means a teaching value chosen for this prototype, not taken from a standard. Clinical vital-sign ranges are illustrative because real flight rules are individualized and not public. Values were checked against the source documents on Oct 18, 2026.
| Reading | Thresholds used (by phase) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate (bpm) | All phases: Alert < 40 or > 130 · Caution < 45 or > 100 Launch / ascent: Alert < 40 or > 170 · Caution < 45 or > 140 Deorbit / entry: Alert < 40 or > 170 · Caution < 45 or > 140 Spacewalk (EVA): Alert < 40 or > 160 · Caution < 45 or > 130 Landing: Alert < 40 or > 140 · Caution < 45 or > 115 | Illustrative |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | All phases: Alert < 85 or > 160 · Caution < 95 or > 140 Launch / ascent: Alert < 85 or > 175 · Caution < 95 or > 155 Deorbit / entry: Alert < 85 or > 175 · Caution < 95 or > 155 | Illustrative |
| Heart rate variability (RMSSD) (ms) | All phases: Alert < 12 · Caution < 20 Launch / ascent: Alert < 7 · Caution < 12 Deorbit / entry: Alert < 7 · Caution < 12 Landing: Alert < 8 · Caution < 14 | Illustrative |
| Respiratory rate (/min) | All phases: Alert < 8 or > 28 · Caution < 10 or > 22 Spacewalk (EVA): Alert < 8 or > 32 · Caution < 10 or > 26 | Illustrative |
| Oxygen saturation (%) | All phases: Alert < 90 · Caution < 94 | Illustrative |
| Exhaled carbon dioxide (end-tidal) (mmHg) | All phases: Alert < 28 or > 50 · Caution < 33 or > 45 | Illustrative |
| Inspired oxygen partial pressure (mmHg) | All phases: Alert < 127 or > 356 · Caution < 145 or > 155 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6003], Table 6.2-1: normal 145–155 mmHg; mild hypoxia lower limit 127 mmHg (1-hour average); indefinite upper limit 356 mmHg[1] |
| Cabin carbon dioxide partial pressure (mmHg) | All phases: Alert > 3 · Caution > 2.5 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6004]: 1-hour average no more than 3 mmHg (caution at 2.5 is illustrative)[1] |
| Cabin total pressure (psia) | All phases: Alert < 5 or > 15 · Caution < 13.9 or > 14.9 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6006]: above 5 and up to 15.0 psia for indefinite exposure (caution band illustrative)[1] |
| Cabin temperature (°C) | All phases: Alert < 18 or > 27 · Caution < 19 or > 26 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6012], Figure 6.2-2 operating envelope (about 18–27 °C; exact limit depends on humidity)[1] |
| Relative humidity (%) | All phases: Alert < 25 or > 75 · Caution < 30 or > 70 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6012], Figure 6.2-2 (about 25–75%; exact limit depends on temperature)[1] |
| Suit pressure (psia) | Spacewalk (EVA): Alert < 4 or > 4.6 · Caution < 4.15 or > 4.45 | U.S. spacesuit historically 4.3 psia (SMF decompression sickness page); bands illustrative[7] |
| Dose rate (µSv/h) | All phases: Alert > 300 · Caution > 60 | Illustrative |
| Career effective dose (mSv) | All phases: Alert > 600 · Caution > 480 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 1 [V1 4030]: career effective dose below 600 mSv; [V1 4031]: design solar particle event below 250 mSv[2] |
| Acceleration (g) | Launch / ascent: Alert > 7.5 · Caution > 6 Deorbit / entry: Alert > 4 · Caution > 3.5 Landing: Alert > 4 · Caution > 3.5 | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 2 Rev F [V2 6064], Table 6.5-1 (seated, chest-to-back): 73.5 m/s² (7.5 g) for 300 s, non-deconditioned crew; 39.2 m/s² (4.0 g) sustained, deconditioned crew. Caution bands illustrative[1] |
| Motion sickness score (0–10) | All phases: Alert > 6 · Caution > 3 | Score illustrative. NASA OCHMO-MTB-004: up to 73% of crewmembers affected during the first 2–3 days of spaceflight[3] |
| Sleep last night (h) | All phases: Alert < 4.5 · Caution < 6 | Illustrative |
| Cognitive test score (/100) | All phases: Alert < 65 · Caution < 80 | Illustrative |
| Fatigue (0–10) | All phases: Alert > 8 · Caution > 6 | Illustrative |
| Urine output (24 h) (L) | All phases: Alert < 1.5 · Caution < 2 | NASA HRP Renal Stone Evidence Report (2024): stone risk rises when urine volume falls below 1.5 L/day; hydration should produce 2.5–3 L/day (caution at 2.0 L illustrative)[4] |
| Kidney stone risk index (0–100) | All phases: Alert > 75 · Caution > 50 | Index illustrative; risk factors from NASA HRP Renal Stone Evidence Report (2024)[4] |
| Fluid intake (24 h) (L) | All phases: Alert < 1.2 · Caution < 2 | Illustrative |
| Exercise today (min) | Orbit: Alert < 45 · Caution < 90 | NASA OCHMO-MTB-013: previous requirements have been 2 hours per workday (caution below 90 min illustrative)[5] |
| Estimated hip bone loss (%) | All phases: Alert > 6 · Caution > 4 | Trend model uses NASA HRP Bone Fracture Evidence Report (2024): about 0.3–0.8% per month at hip and spine with current resistive exercise (historically 1–1.5%); flags illustrative[6] |
| Mood check-in (1–5) | All phases: Alert < 2 · Caution < 3 | Illustrative |
| Workload check-in (1–5) | All phases: Alert > 5 · Caution > 4 | Illustrative |
| Blood-forming organs dose, 30 days (mGy-Eq) | Limit 250 mGy-Eq (30 days), 500 mGy-Eq (1 year) | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 1 Rev C, Table 4.8-1 [2]. The simulated running value is illustrative. |
| Eyes (SANS) checks | Normal / Watch flags (simulated) | About 70% of long-duration crewmembers show at least one sign; about 18% clinically concerning (OCHMO-MTB-001) [9]. Flags illustrative. |
| Communication delay | Low Earth orbit: under 1 second (illustrative). For comparison, Moon about 1.3 s; Mars up to about 21–23 minutes one way. | Mars figure: NASA communications delay fact sheet (cited on In-flight emergencies); Moon from Earth–Moon distance (see the delay calculator). |
| Time to definitive medical care | Pre-launch: Minutes · launch-site medical team Launch / ascent: Minutes to hours · abort and recovery forces Orbit: Hours to more than a day · deorbit, landing, transport Spacewalk (EVA): Ingress to cabin first, then hours to more than a day Deorbit / entry: Committed to landing · care on arrival Landing: Minutes · recovery team, hospital agreements Post-landing recovery: On site · flight surgeon present | NASA-STD-3001 Vol 1 [V1 3012], [V1 3013] [2]; orbit evacuation “hours to more than a day” from [8]. Exact times are illustrative. |
| Mission dose so far | No threshold (running total) | Illustrative about 0.5 mSv per day in low Earth orbit, for teaching only. Compare missions with the radiation dose estimator. |
Numbered sources
- NASA Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer. NASA-STD-3001, Space Flight Human-System Standard, Volume 2: Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health, Revision F (approved July 14, 2026).
- NASA Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer. NASA-STD-3001, Volume 1: Crew Health, Revision C (2023).
- NASA OCHMO. Space Adaptation Sickness. Medical Technical Brief OCHMO-MTB-004.
- NASA Human Research Program. Evidence Report: Risk of Renal Stone Formation (2024).
- NASA OCHMO. Bone Loss. Medical Technical Brief OCHMO-MTB-013, Rev D (2026).
- NASA Human Research Program. Evidence Report: Risk of Bone Fracture due to Spaceflight-induced Changes to Bone (July 18, 2024).
- Space Medicine Foundation. Decompression sickness and spacewalks (clinical page, from NASA sources).
- Space Medicine Foundation. In-flight emergencies and evacuation (clinical page, from NASA sources).
- NASA OCHMO. Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Medical Technical Brief OCHMO-MTB-001.
- NASA OCHMO. Orthostatic Intolerance. Technical Brief OCHMO-TB-019.
Orthostatic intolerance scenario: NASA notes it is a major concern when crewmembers return to gravity after landing, and current protocols include drinking salt water before landing [10]. Exercise target from [5] (“previous requirements have been 2 hours per workday”).
About this prototype
The simulation runs entirely in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. The crew (VEGA, ORION, LYRA, KESTREL) and all their readings are invented. The mission profile is a long station stay: phases jump forward in time (orbit covers flight days 1–90, the spacewalk is on flight day 92 and entry on flight day 182). Medication entries show what was given, never a dose. Real flight surgeons use individualized flight rules, more data and direct conversation with the crew.
Keyboard: Tab through the controls; arrow keys switch crew; the phase buttons and progress slider move through the mission. Motion is reduced automatically if your device asks for it (the ECG trace then redraws once a second instead of sweeping).