NASA Crew-13 Studies Blood Clots, Vision Changes and Astronaut Performance in Space

During NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, astronauts will support a series of biomedical and human performance investigations. The research includes a new NASA-ESA collaboration on blood flow and clotting, tests of manual piloting skills, studies of vision and brain changes, long-term health data collection, and measurements of the forces astronauts experience when returning to Earth.

Together, these investigations could help NASA improve astronaut health, reentry hardware, landing procedures, and preparations for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA and ESA Study Blood Flow and Clotting in Microgravity

A new collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) will study venous hemostasis, the process that helps control blood flow and clotting in the veins. The research builds on previous investigations of blood circulation in space by combining the efforts of the two space agencies.

By coordinating blood draws and other physiological data, researchers can reduce how often astronauts need to provide blood samples. Combining the agencies’ analytical measurements will also help scientists better understand how microgravity affects blood flow and clot formation.

“In space, weightlessness can disrupt normal blood flow in astronauts’ veins,” said Jason Lytle, one of the study’s principal investigators and a cardiovascular researcher at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Irregular, slow blood flow can increase the risk of blood clot formation, a serious health condition. Venous hemostasis helps us understand why these changes occur in some astronauts and not others.”

Astronauts will undergo MRI scans, jugular vein ultrasounds, blood pressure tests, and blood draws before, during, and after flight. These measurements will allow researchers to track changes in blood flow and blood composition.

The results could help NASA identify precautions for crews at higher risk of blood clots and improve health and safety on future missions. Researchers also want to determine whether findings from this and other studies could lead to better ways to prevent and treat blood clots in space and on Earth.

Manual Maneuvering Tests Astronaut Piloting Skills

The performance study, called Manual Maneuvering, will use a lunar landing simulation to test how well astronauts respond to a difficult landing after spending an extended period in microgravity.

Long-duration spaceflight can affect sensory systems, orientation, and motor control as astronauts move between gravitational environments. Researchers will evaluate how these changes affect piloting performance and decision-making, as well as whether retraining shortly before landing can improve astronaut responses.

B Vitamins and Spaceflight-Related Vision Changes

Researchers will also continue the B-complex study, which examines whether daily vitamin B supplements can reduce or prevent spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, or SANS. The condition can change the structure of astronauts’ eyes during long-duration missions.

Previous research suggests that taking B vitamins daily during spaceflight may help protect astronauts from SANS. Participating crew members will complete vision tests before, during, and after flight while taking B vitamins to assess the supplement’s effectiveness.

The study will also examine whether B vitamins affect vascular function in crew members before and after spaceflight.

Additional NASA Human Research Program Studies

Selected Crew-13 astronauts will participate in three additional Human Research Program investigations: Standard Measures, Spacecraft Crew Risk, and Zero T2.

Standard Measures

Standard Measures collects consistent physiological and behavioral data from as many crew members as possible. The information helps establish a baseline for research focused on reducing the harmful effects of spaceflight.

Spacecraft Crew Risk

Spacecraft Crew Risk characterizes the forces astronauts experience during landing. NASA will use the data to refine strategies and hardware designed to reduce the risk of injury during return to Earth.

Zero T2

Zero T2 will track the exercise habits of selected crew members and compare health and performance data from astronauts who use treadmills for aerobic exercise on the space station with those who do not.

The comparison will help researchers plan exercise programs for future Artemis and other deep-space missions, where limited spacecraft space could restrict or eliminate the use of treadmills.

Preparing Astronauts for the Moon, Mars and Beyond

“Taken together, these studies will help NASA better understand how the human body responds to spaceflight and whether certain strategies can effectively protect astronaut health and performance,” said Michael Stenger, NASA Johnson Human Research Program Principal Investigator.

“The knowledge gained will pave the way for NASA’s efforts to safely send humans farther into the solar system, including the Artemis mission to the Moon, work on lunar bases, and future exploration of Mars.”

NASA’s Human Research Program develops methods and technologies that support safe and productive human space travel. The program examines how spaceflight affects the human body and behavior through research conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogues, commercial missions, the International Space Station, and the Artemis mission.

This research supports NASA’s efforts to find innovative ways to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as human space exploration expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.