Abstract
Commercial space tourism is a rapidly growing industry. Not only are people presently paying to travel across the Kármán line and experience microgravity, but it is expected that soon spaceflight may be used for long-distance passenger travel. With a huge increase in the number of laypeople going to space, there is a growing need for medical recommendations to guide private companies in selecting travellers safely.
Exposure to acceleration forces equivalent to those seen in a suborbital spaceflight profile are rare on Earth, and the data surrounding human factors in space and aviation is largely derived from carefully selected individuals with minimal health concerns. There is a growing foundation of literature regarding response to acceleration exposure in the naïve space traveller, with suggestions for medical guidelines being based predominantly on prior research from groups such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
This review provides a summary of the available evidence on cardiopulmonary function in hypergravity and current medical recommendations for commercial space travel, with an attempt to highlight the important considerations for policymakers and commercial parties responsible for the safety of future suborbital passengers.