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The Space Doctor Will See You Now: This Program Takes Medicine to Another World

A new Texas A&M University aerospace medicine program is studying how to safeguard human health beyond Earth.

By Alice Popovici

Once the domain of highly trained, carefully vetted astronauts, space travel is becoming more and more accessible to paying private citizens, thanks to a rapidly growing commercial spaceflight industry dominated by companies like Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX. Famous actors, musicians and entrepreneurs often grab headlines with their high-profile mini vacations to outer space.
 

The Aerospace Medicine program in Texas A&M’s Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine is pioneering new frontiers in studying how to care for people traveling to space. (Illustration by Tavis Coburn)

But the rise of space tourism — part of an industry expected to reach $1.8 trillion in the next decade — has also revealed a critical gap in research and training for physicians to treat people traveling beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Texas A&M University is stepping in to fill this vacuum with its new Aerospace Medicine program in the Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine.

“Our goal is to ensure that Aggie space doctors lead the way and set the standards for training the next generation of spaceflight physicians and researchers,” said Dr. Jeff Chancellor ’18, the program’s director and an expert in the radiation effects of spaceflight.

A distinction track within the medical school, the program currently enrolls three students with nearly 20 other undergraduate and graduate students working on various research initiatives. Chancellor oversees about eight faculty members, including aerospace engineering experts affiliated with Texas A&M’s Space Institute. The team plans to double enrollment in the next few years while developing an accredited aerospace medicine residency program.

Where Physics Meets Medicine

Led by Chancellor’s wife, Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor — a board-certified flight surgeon, former astronaut and Texas A&M clinical professor — the four-year residency program will combine family medicine and aerospace medicine to become the first of its kind in the world. It is expected to begin enrolling students in fall 2027.
 


Despite what the job title may suggest, aerospace physicians don’t travel on missions to space; rather, they serve as the primary doctor for the astronaut (or space tourist) before, during and after their flight, focusing on preventive care and symptom management.

“Astronauts are exposed to many hazardous environments that can pose unique problems, side effects and complications we have to address,” said Auñón-Chancellor.

 

After completing the first part of the residency program in Aggieland, students will work directly with aerospace medicine experts by completing rotations at NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, military agencies and commercial aerospace companies.

Mission-Critical Research

Chancellor is developing and seeking funding for several projects studying how spaceflight affects human health. One of his priorities is building a spaceflight capsule equipped with imaging tools and biomedical monitoring, which will give students hands-on experience handling an in-flight medical emergency. “Another key initiative, a radiation lab, will allow us to simulate the space radiation environment and study how space affects the cardiovascular system,” he said.

Our goal is to ensure that Aggie space doctors lead the way and set the standards for training the next generation of spaceflight physicians and researchers.
- Dr. Jeff Chancellor ’18

In a major victory for the program, its Spaceflight Endothelial and Coagulation Biology Experiment, a student-designed project that looks at how the space environment affects vascular health, was recently selected for inclusion aboard the TAMU-SPIRIT orbital platform on the International Space Station. Later this year, student researchers will also study the radiation environment surrounding the moon when radiation equipment developed by Chancellor will launch into space on the first commercial flight orbiting the moon, conducted by aerospace company Intuitive Machines.

Chancellor and his team are further laying the foundation for the aerospace medicine program’s library, which will highlight the personal archives of the late Dr. John Charles, NASA’s former chief scientist, and include valuable medical research not available anywhere else.

“There isn’t anything like what we’re doing right now,” Chancellor said. “We’re focusing not only on training post-graduate physicians in aerospace medicine but also doing research that supports NASA’s mission, the Department of Defense and the commercial space mission of putting humans in space. We’re trying to tackle it on all fronts.”

How Does Spaceflight Affect the Human Body?

The Brain

Shifts in brain fluid gradually increase pressure inside the skull, often causing subtle structural changes in the brain. Some astronauts experience headaches and brain fog.

The Eyes

Changes in vision are common due to a condition called Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome, which causes swelling at the back of the eye and flattens the eyeball. Some astronauts need new eyeglass prescriptions mid-mission.

The Spine

The spine elongates, boosting astronauts’ height by up to two inches. However, they often return to Earth with back stiffness and an increased risk of having a herniated disc.

The Heart

The heart becomes smaller and less efficient outside of Earth’s gravitational pull.

The Skin

Skin aging can accelerate due to an increase in radiation, and skin can become thinner, more prone to irritation and slower to heal after small wounds.  

The Digestive System

In the case of digestion, astronauts often experience bloating, changes in appetite and altered taste perception.

The Nervous System

As the nervous system adapts to new sensory cues in space, balance and coordination can be disrupted. Some astronauts have reported changes in their reflexes, sleep patterns and mood regulation.

The Muscles

Leg muscles, back muscles and core muscles weaken and shrink without the effects of gravity, making rehabilitation a challenge upon the astronaut’s return.

The Bones

Bone density decreases at a rate of 1-2% per month without weight-bearing activity. It mirrors the process of osteoporosis, but at a faster rate.

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