Approaches to Understanding Radiobiologic Consequences of Space Travel: Shuttle Missions, International Space Station, and NASA Approach to Research TRISH Programs

There has been a continuous effort to understand the response of humans to ionizing irradiation and to develop therapeutic approaches to manage ionizing irradiation exposure. Experience from clinical bone marrow transplantation, where total body irradiation has been used to prepare individuals for stem cell transplant, has provided information on acute and late radiation side effects. Clinical medicine has provided the basis for understanding human responses to ionizing irradiation and this information will be valuable for planning to manage the exposure of astronauts to space irradiation and also to manage the clinical care of individuals exposed to radiation from response to nuclear reactor accidents or radiation-emitting weapons.