Mission to Enhance Ethics Education, Outreach and Research in Space (METEORS) Program

Thousands of people are expected to fly to space aboard commercial vehicles in the coming decades. However, human spaceflight remains a high risk, high reward endeavor despite years of government-sponsored research and development. We still know very little about the longterm effects of spaceflight on the human body, thus participation in research is essential to ensure the safety of people who will fly. There are currently no mandated protections for participants in research sponsored by commercial spaceflight companies, nor requirements that sponsored studies undergo scientific merit or ethics review. Such a lack of oversight endangers participants and prevents good science.

Establish industry standards for human research protections in the commercial spaceflight industry, and investigate current approaches for how companies prioritize research that advances occupant health and safety in space.

Translational Institute for Space Health, through NASA Cooperative Agreement