WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration says it will fund a dozen proposals to help advance U.S. astronaut health and performance.
NASA's Human Research Program and the space agency-funded National Space Biomedical Research Institute of Houston said the selected proposals, involving 11 institutions in eight states, will receive nearly $16 million during a 3-4-year period.
The Human Research Program provides knowledge and technologies to improve human health and performance during space exploration. Officials said the program also develops possible countermeasures for problems experienced during space travel.
"Goals include the successful completion of exploration missions and preservation of astronauts' health throughout their lives," the space agency said. "The program quantifies crew health and performance risks during spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners and system developers can use to monitor and mitigate health and performance risks."
A list of the selected principal investigators, organizations and proposals is available at http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/acd/hrp_nsbri_awards_2009.html
