Study highlights value of physician-astronauts and their role in space exploration
A new study in the field of space medicine marks a number of significant contributions from physicians working to advance space exploration, highlighting the unique strengths they bring to the field.
Dr Farhan M Asrar, a Canadian physician and internationally known space medicine researcher, has worked with experts and astronauts from space agencies around the world. He looks at human health in space, including deep space missions, as well as how space technology can be used to innovate health, public health and the environment on Earth.
One of his most recent pieces of research, ‘From bedside to orbit: the enduring impact of physician-astronauts over six decades of space exploration’, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, looks at the role of medical doctor in advancing space exploration.
According to Dr Asrar, the work addresses two historical milestones: it has been 61 years since the first physician-astronaut — a medical doctor who became an astronaut — went to space for Russia, as well as 60 years since NASA first selected physicians as astronauts. Since then, there have been dozens of physicians who became astronauts from around the world.
This publication highlights how physicians’ skills align naturally with astronaut demands. It also presents the world’s first comprehensive database of physician-astronauts, listing all physician-astronauts, past and present, from around the world.
Speaking to Dawn, Asrar discussed his research and provided insight into its significance as a publication, as well as the intersection between physicians and space research.
Physicians, astronauts, and how their skillsets collide
While many countries’ astronaut programmes focus their consideration on those from the armed forces — including the first astronauts from Russia and the United States — they have since seen the importance of bringing scientific and other professional expertise into the field of space and opened the opportunity to others, according to Asrar. Other countries have also done open calls, calling citizens from various professional backgrounds to apply to be astronauts.
Asked where physicians slotted into the equation, Asrar said, “Physicians are drawn to space for the same reason they practice medicine: to push boundaries, solve problems, and be ready for the unexpected.
“Medical doctors make adaptable astronauts because medicine trains them to think scientifically, lead under pressure, and manage uncertainty, which exactly what spaceflight demands.”
Additionally, as the publication shows, they can be beneficial to space missions due to their scientific and research experience. Their medical training is also an asset.
“Astronaut selection is famously demanding, testing cognitive, physical, operational and psychological resilience,” the study points out.
“Physicians are trained to excel in environments characterised by uncertainty, complexity and high stakes, making these skills directly applicable to space missions.”
It adds, “For many physicians, the attraction lies in the ultimate challenge of pushing the boundaries of human physiology and endurance in an extreme environment … The passion towards space is often nurtured by a lifelong fascination with science, engineering and the unknown. For physicians, these factors can be expanded to the frontiers of medical research and technological innovation.”
Asrar’s own research explores how space technology can benefit health, public health, and the environment on Earth, as well as the health of humans in space and the provision of medical care in space.
“Being a practicing physician has helped me integrate the fields of space and health,” he told Dawn. “As the focus of space travel is looking at deep-space missions, this work was motivated by seeing how medical experts can support longer-duration space exploration.”
Why the study matters
Asrar said that the new study “highlights to the medical world the connections and similarities that the space sector has to the medical world, the high pace and high stakes involved in both”.
It also aims to show the medical and health sector what space has to offer to the field, he added.
The publication also highlights significant achievements of physician-astronauts, including standout records that they hold: “This study honours them and their achievements with a first ever repository documenting all physician-astronauts from around the world.”
As an example, the current world records for the longest single spaceflight in space by an American, by a Canadian, by a Russian and overall are all held by physicians, Asrar said. The record holders for the most extra-vehicular activity (EVA) — or spacewalks — in a single mission by a NASA astronaut, and by a Canadian astronaut are medical doctors as well.
The only astronaut to have flown on all 5 NASA space shuttles was a doctor as well, Asrar said. Additionally, the world’s first parastronaut (astronaut with a physical disability) was recently selected by the European Space Agency: the United Kingdom’s Dr John McFall, a medical doctor.
“Our publication again tries to highlight to the medical and health sector the key roles they have been playing in space exploration and to consider exploring opportunities in the space sector. Additionally, it is also highlighting the important roles doctors are playing in the space sector, so when countries, including Pakistan, are expanding their astronaut programme, then they consider opening it up to physicians to apply as history and research has shown the significant role they have and can play.”
He added that the next step was looking at future space missions, which would involve going deep into space, and how physicians could play a role in these as well.
A follow-up research publication in The Lancet takes Asrar’s original research a step further, looking at how physician-astronauts can play a key role for deep space missions.
Asrar’s research also signifies great achievements by women in space and the STEM sector, and female physicians in particular.
Interestingly, he noted, the first female astronaut from Europe, France, Canada, Japan, Asia, and Austria, and the first female astronaut of colour in space are all physicians.
“Even Saudi Arabia’s second female astronaut is a medical doctor,” he added.
The research is also highly international and multi-ethnic; this is by design. Many space initiatives involve multiple countries working together, such as the International Space Station (ISS). Even Pakistan’s upcoming astronaut mission involves working together with China, Asrar said.
“It is clear that space brings all of us together,” Asrar said, adding that as the project lead and lead author, he wanted to highlight the shared experiences of astronauts worldwide by bringing together an international group.
This is the first publication with so many astronaut co-authors (six), also featuring the unique aspect of all of them being physician-astronauts.
Asrar has had significant experience working with professionals, experts, astronauts and learners from over 30 countries. The co-authors of this study include astronauts from NASA as well as the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa) and Saudi Space Agency.
“I would tell doctors and health professionals that their skills are very important,” Asrar told Dawn when asked if he had a message to those interested in the field.
He encouraged medical and health professionals to explore opportunities in the space sector: “Even if the opportunities to become an astronaut may be limited for now, there are still many research and clinical aerospace medicine opportunities that one can still explore.”
The doctor also called on decision makers and astronaut selection committees of space agencies to “look at the beneficial role that physician-astronauts have already played and … broaden your selection pool to consider medical doctors in the future”.
