A smart, wearable sensor with a universal data platform to monitor the health of Artemis astronauts
The Moon and Mars are major exploration targets in the coming years. From 2025, the upcoming Artemis missions will take humans to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years. With the Gateway, plans are also progressing towards operating a crewed space station in lunar orbit. For these specific missions – but also for missions further away, such as human expeditions to Mars – the safety of the astronauts has the highest priority. Assessing and possibly predicting the individual resilience of the crew is essential during the extreme conditions experienced on exploration missions. For this reason, there is a need for the development of solutions for robust, autonomous and reliable health monitoring during spaceflight.
SpacePatch is a German contribution to the Artemis missions which will be on display in the Space Pavilion at the ILA 2024. Smart sensors are combined with sensor-related signal processing, a database and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics in a modular overall system. This self-sufficient, internet- and cloud-independent system is designed for radiation exposure in space and is therefore suitable for ‘Artemis and beyond’ missions. Applications are derived from this – for example, the system for the Artemis II crew during the return of humans to the Moon or the ‘:envihab’ system for pre-flight training and post-flight analyses. The patch is discreet and can be worn during regular activities and while sleeping. It transmits the data autonomously to a universal, miniaturised data platform. New AI learning models for the cardiovascular system and its mechanical and electrical biosignalling are intended to contribute to the success of the crew on their respective missions. SpacePatch will also be useful on Earth as a universal platform for machine learning and AI – for example, as a wearable tool in the field of digital health – the interdisciplinary combination of medicine and digital technology for personalised and efficient healthcare.
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
German Space Agency at DLR
E-Mail contact-dlr@DLR.de
