Challenge

Astronaut Digital Twin

Human physiology inescapably adapts to the pressures of the spaceflight environment posing safety and performance concerns for astronauts. Within the landscape of the adaptation phenotype for the population of astronauts that have flown in space to date, there exists a high degree of variability. Thus, there is a need to anticipate this variation, collect germane data in the relevant contexts, and contextualize and learn rapidly from all available data to support human thriving in space.

The application of the right countermeasures can mitigate the effects of spaceflight and increase adaptation. However, how do we know what countermeasure is right for which astronaut? How do we know what the optimal time is to apply these countermeasures (pre-flight, in-flight, and/or post-flight) and with what dose, frequency, and duration? What do we need to monitor in-flight to support precise countermeasure application? Further, how can we optimize the opportunity cost of applying different countermeasures in the context of limited resources, knowing that the options available to commercial flight operators may differ?

It is clear that assessments and countermeasures need to be nuanced and personalized for the safety and performance of humans entering the space environment. Sovaris Aerospace and Embody Biosciences are building the Astronaut Digital Twin (ADT) Platform to help support this challenge and enhance the adaptation profile of everyone entering space.