Medical Requirements for a Manned Mars Mission

The purpose of this discussion on human factors is to understand and predict the crew's needs during a mission to Mars, while on the surface of Mars, and during Earth return. Using a VaSIMR propulsion system our crew will spend three months en route to Mars and three months returning from Mars, after they have spent a year on the surface of Mars. This discusses how the vehicles and systems can be best designed to fit the crew's needs and limitations. It also discusses the physical and psychological challenges for the crew. The medical risks of this mission are outlined and the types of medical equipment needed to treat those medical problems are discussed.