Aerospace doctor discusses the future of civilian spaceflight

More from this show

The first astronauts to land on the moon and the many others who flew into space were selected in part because of their excellent health and physical condition. Now, the emergence of private space flight will mean civilians going into space who might not meet the rigorous health standards required of astronauts and may even have pre-existing conditions. In addition, there is currently no medical criteria for those who go on private space flights. Dr. Jan Stepanek, who practices aerospace medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, talks about medical criteria for civilians in space and is a co-author of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine called “Space Medicine in the Era of Civilian Spaceflight.”

Dr. Jan Stepanek, practices aerospace medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, co-author of “Space Medicine in the Era of Civilian Spaceflight.”

Hispanic Heritage Awards image
airs Sept. 29

Hispanic Heritage Awards

Tito Munoz conducting the Phoenix Symphony
airs Sept. 25

Opening Night: A Romantic Evening

A ferris wheel at a state fair in the evening

See Fairytales on Ice: Beauty and the Beast at the Arizona State Fair

A green monster with a goofy grin holds a large toothbrush. Text: HealthySmileLearning.org Video Contest: How does your favorite monster brush its teeth?
Oct. 8

Digital Video Contest 2023

Subscribe to Arizona PBS Newsletters

STAY in touch
with azpbs.org!

Subscribe to Arizona PBS Newsletters: