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SMF-C-REF · standard · ClinicalNASA-STD-3001 Standards Quick Reference
- NASA-STD-3001 is NASA's technical standard for human spaceflight. Volume 1 (Crew Health) sets medical care and fitness standards; Volume 2 (Human Factors, Habitability and Environmental Health) sets design requirements for vehicles, habitats and suits.
- Current revisions: NASA-STD-3001 Vol. 1 Rev C (2023-09-15); NASA-STD-3001 Vol. 2 Rev F (2026-07-14), which supersedes Rev E (2025-05-01).
- Requirement IDs look like [V1 4030] (Volume 1) or [V2 6004] (Volume 2); each has a “shall” statement and a rationale.
- Astronaut medical selection and certification details are in a separate document, OCHMO-STD-100.1A.
- The standard binds NASA programs. Commercial spaceflight participants are governed by FAA rules (14 CFR Part 460), which require informed consent and training but set no medical standards for them.
Volume 1 — Crew Health (Rev C)
| Chapter | What it covers | SMF article |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Scope; applicable documents | — |
| 3 | Health and medical care (3.1–3.16): selection, preventive care, in-mission care, evacuation, palliative care, launch/landing support, post-mission care, long-term monitoring, death of a crewmember | Read |
| 4 | Human performance standards (4.1–4.8): aerobic capacity, sensorimotor, behavioral health & cognition, hematology/immunology, nutrition, muscle, bone, radiation | Read |
| 5 | Training (incl. crew medical officers) | Read |
| 6 | Medical operations (circadian/fatigue, private medical & psychological conferences, behavioral health support, EVA medical clearance) | Read |
| 7 | Crew health records & data transmission | — |
| App. A–E | References, acronyms, definitions, compliance matrix, probabilistic risk assessment & medical condition list (App. E) | — |
Rev B (2022) replaced the earlier “levels of care” model with risk-based requirements in Chapter 3. Volume 1 PDF · NTSS page
Volume 2 — Human Factors, Habitability & Environmental Health (Rev F)
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 3 | Systems engineering (human-centered design process) |
| 4 | Physical characteristics & capabilities (anthropometry, strength) |
| 5 | Human performance & error (cognitive workload, situation awareness) |
| 6 | Natural & induced environments: atmosphere (6.2, incl. CO2 and DCS), water (6.3), hazards & toxicology (6.4), acceleration (6.5), acoustics (6.6), vibration (6.7), radiation (6.8) |
| 7 | Habitability: food & nutrition (7.1), physiological countermeasures (7.4), medical (7.5), behavioral health & sleep, hygiene, waste |
| 8 | Architecture (volume, translation paths, lighting) |
| 9 | Hardware & equipment |
| 10 | Crew interfaces (displays, controls, labeling) |
| 11 | Spacesuits (incl. incapacitated crew rescue) |
| 12 | Ground assembly design & emergency egress |
Volume 2 on the NASA Technical Standards System
Requirements clinicians meet most often
| Topic | Requirement | Plain-language meaning | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection | [V1 3001] | Medical and psychological selection, annual recertification (per OCHMO-STD-100.1A) | Read |
| Preventive care | [V1 3002] | Preflight prevention: nutrition, vitamin D, medication review, triennial DXA, fitness, dental, vaccines, radiation dose control, health stabilization | Read |
| In-flight care | [V1 3003]–[V1 3004] | In-mission prevention (incl. SANS and venous monitoring) and medical care, sized by risk assessment | Read |
| Evacuation | [V1 3007]–[V1 3009] | Evacuation to higher care when needed; transport to definitive care; palliative care if return is impossible | Read |
| Landing | [V1 3012]–[V1 3013] | ATLS/ACLS-level support at launch and landing; hospital agreements | Read |
| Post-mission | [V1 3016]–[V1 3018] | Post-mission care, reconditioning, lifelong monitoring | Read |
| Aerobic | [V1 4001]–[V1 4004] | VO2max ≥ 32.9 (microgravity EVA) / ≥ 36.5 mL/kg/min (surface EVA); keep ≥ 80% of preflight | Read |
| Sensorimotor | [V1 4005]–[V1 4010] | Sensorimotor function within clinical norms; countermeasures; readaptation | Read |
| Behavioral | [V1 4011]–[V1 4014] | Behavioral health and cognition assessed pre-, in- and post-mission | Read |
| Nutrition | [V1 4019]–[V1 4022] | Assess nutrition; provide 100% of calculated needs; post-mission recovery | Read |
| Muscle | [V1 4023]–[V1 4025] | Minimum strength (multiples of body weight); keep ≥ 80% of preflight | Read |
| Bone | [V1 4026]–[V1 4028] | DXA T-scores; hip/spine ≥ 95% and femoral neck ≥ 90% of preflight | Read |
| Radiation | [V1 4029]–[V1 4033] | ALARA; career effective dose under 600 mSv; SPE protection under 250 mSv; GCR dose-rate limits | Read |
| EVA | [V1 6006] | Medical clearance before every EVA | Read |
| CO2 | [V2 6004] | 1-hour average ppCO2 no more than 3 mmHg | Read |
| DCS | [V2 6008]–[V2 6009] | Under 4% DCS probability at 95% confidence (ground tests); DCS treatment capability | Read |
| Radiation monitoring | [V2 6161]–[V2 6165] | Area and personal dosimetry; alerts; space weather monitoring | Read |
| Countermeasures | [V2 7038], [V2 7042] | Vehicle provides exercise and orthostatic countermeasures | Read |
| Medical system | [V2 7043]–[V2 7046], [V2 7115] | Medical system meeting Vol. 1; usable by non-physicians; restraints; supplies assessed for vehicle impacts | Read |
| Egress | [V2 12045] | Expedited crew egress after landing | Read |
Technical briefs and evidence
NASA's Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) publishes short technical briefs that explain the standard by topic, with rationale, data and references. NASA's Human Research Program publishes evidence reports and tracks risks and research gaps in the Human Research Roadmap. These are the main sources used across the SMF Clinical section.
Commercial spaceflight (FAA)
- 14 CFR Part 460: crew with safety-critical roles need an FAA second-class airman medical certificate issued within 12 months; operators must give spaceflight participants written risk disclosure and emergency training.
- FAA AM-06/1 (2006): advisory guidance for medical screening of commercial aerospace passengers (questionnaire for suborbital flights up to +3 Gz; full history, exam and labs for orbital or higher-G flights). See SFP screening.
How to read a requirement
- “Shall” statements are binding for NASA programs; rationale text explains why and often gives the clinical data.
- Many requirements are performance-based (e.g., “maintain ≥ 80% of preflight VO2max”) and leave methods to programs.
- Appendix D of each volume is a compliance matrix; Volume 1 Appendix E lists the medical conditions used in NASA's probabilistic risk assessment.
Educational use only · Disclaimer · NASA documents are U.S. Government works (public domain), summarized with attribution · CC BY-SA 4.0