Risk of Impaired Control of Spacecraft/ Associated Systems and Decreased Mobility Due to Vestibular/ Sensorimotor Alterations Associated with Space Flight

Exposure to altered gravity leads to changes in sensorimotor/vestibular function that manifest in motion sickness, spatial disorientation, decrements in postural control and locomotion, and manual and fine motor control deficits. It takes hours to days for the body to readapt to gravity upon landing, with associated balance issues and visual inconsistencies. The risk of impairment […]

Mar 11, 2025 - 21:42

Risk of Impaired Control of Spacecraft/ Associated Systems and Decreased Mobility Due to Vestibular/ Sensorimotor Alterations Associated with Space Flight

1 min read

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astronauts train for a medical emergency aboard the ISS

Expedition 65 Flight Engineers (clockwise from left) Thomas Pesquet, Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur train for a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station. Pesquet and Kimbrough review medical hardware while McArthur practices chest compressions, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in the weightless environment of the orbiting lab.

NASA

Exposure to altered gravity leads to changes in sensorimotor/vestibular function that manifest in motion sickness, spatial disorientation, decrements in postural control and locomotion, and manual and fine motor control deficits. It takes hours to days for the body to readapt to gravity upon landing, with associated balance issues and visual inconsistencies. The risk of impairment is greatest during and soon after G-transitions when performance decrements may have high operational impact [manual landings, immediate egress following landing, early extravehicular activities (EVAs)].