NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 8900.1B Effective Date: December 16, 2016 Expiration Date: September 08, 2025

Subject: NASA Health and Medical Requirements for Human Space Exploration

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer

Appendix A. Definitions

Aerospace Medicine Board (AMB): The AMB at JSC is a clinical and implementation body for addressing crew medical qualifications and crew medical status made up of NASA flight physicians.

Health: The physiological, psychological, performance and dental status, and well-being of an individual.

Health and Medical Technical Authority (HMTA): HMTA provides independent oversight of all health, medical, and crew performance matters that either arise in association with the execution of NASA programs or projects or are embedded in NASA programs or projects. HMTA implements the responsibilities of OCHMO to assure that Agency health and medical policy, requirements, and technical standards are addressed in program/project management, when applicable and appropriate. The Technical Authority process is a part of NASA's system of checks and balances to provide independent oversight of programs and projects in support of safety and mission success through the selection of specific individuals with delegated levels of authority. Individuals with these formal delegations are Technical Authorities.

Medical: The care and treatment of an individual for illness or injury.

Medical Policy Board (MPB): The MPB at HQ is responsible for health and medical policy and oversight of medical activities and is comprised of full-time Federal employee physicians cognizant of aerospace medicine.

Operational Exception: An exception granted by the NASA Administrator (or designee) to a human health, human performance, and/or medical standard. Based on the ethical, policy criteria, and factors, uses the processes described in this NPR when a standard cannot be fully met or if the level of knowledge for a given condition is sufficiently limited that an adequate standard cannot be developed.

Planetary Protection: Policies, requirements, and procedures designed to prevent biological contamination of other solar system bodies that might jeopardize scientific investigations on the origins and evolution of life, as well as to prevent the potential for harmful contamination of the Earth by extraterrestrial materials carried on board returning spacecraft.

Transition to Operations Review Process (TORP): An assessment of the effectiveness and operational readiness of human health-related research and technology products and deliverables. It provides a clear channel for human health and medical-related flight and ground research results and technology development that can impact crew health and performance for transition to tools available to support Agency human space flight programs.

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