What are the top risks?

Altered gravity and shifts between different types of gravity may trigger motion sickness and affect astronauts’ ability to orient themselves. Those issues are particularly concerning because ill crew members may have trouble with mission tasks, vehicle controls, or leaving the spacecraft to perform extravehicular activities. Finding ways to improve human performance when dealing with these issues are key priorities for missions to the Moon and Mars, and for any activities on their surfaces.

What can be done about it?

Ongoing research seeks to characterize the extent of disorientation astronauts face immediately after they land back on Earth. Such information gives scientists a baseline for how crews may react upon landing on other planetary bodies.

Research also focuses on developing medicine in combination with other training or orientation aids to help address or prevent motion sickness and spatial disorientation. These efforts include testing a novel nasal gel formulation of the motion sickness medication scopolamine, teaming up with the U.S. Navy to test whether specific head movements could help relieve motion sickness symptoms after exiting a flight simulator, and testing recovery interventions during extended bedrest experiments.

Did you know?

The sickness you experience traveling in cars, boats, and planes on Earth does not predict how motion sick you may get during space travel. The majority of astronauts experience motion sickness during spaceflight.

Formal risk description: Risk of altered sensorimotor/vestibular function impacting critical mission tasks

Research in support of this risk: Latest evidence