Medicine onboard the International Space Station

Abstract

Imagine the following scenario: the commander of Earth’s first outer planets mission to Callisto is preparing to step onto the surface of the Jovian moon. Sleep-deprived, suffering from radiation sickness, weakened bones, and feeling discombobulated from months in zero gravity, she takes her first step on the icy surface and her femur snaps! She crashes to the surface and sustains a broken hip. The injuries render her helpless and she becomes a burden to the radiation-ravaged crew who must provide twenty-four medical attention. Stressed in their cramped spacecraft, that has served as their home for more than two years, the crew bicker and squabble among themselves before venting their frustrations on Mission Control back on Earth. Fox News sensationalizes the problems, saying the crew has decided to euthanize the commander, something the space agency’s public relations office vehemently denies. Attempts to stabilize the situation fail and the mission is threatened. The follow-up mission to Titan is cancelled.