The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Space Medicine

Abstract Space is considered to be the most inhospitable environment known to man. A lack of oxygen, microgravity, extremes of temperature, ionising radiation and the inability to grow food being only a few of the challenges that space exploration may pose to those brave enough to travel there. (1) Consequently, astronauts encountered numerous health risks primarily due to the effects of microgravity and ionising radiation as well as the psychological impacts of isolation and confinement. (2,3) Because of this, it is imperative that the health and wellbeing of astronauts be monitored closely to ensure their safety. This is currently achieved via telemedicine, in which medical personnel on earth communicate with those in space. However, this is not without limitations such as the inability to physically examine those in space and communication delays that may be encountered due to the vast transmission distances. In the case that communications become compromised or infeasible, astronauts may be left vulnerable to a wide range of potential health complications. Therefore, a redundancy solution to monitor astronaut health alongside direct astronaut-to-earth communication is required. This could be achieved via the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI allows for the health of astronauts to be automatically monitored and provides an effective solution to some of the biological and psychological issues that astronauts encounter. This essay explores the role of AI in a selection of health issues encountered by astronauts.