The University of Central Florida is expanding its space medicine program to train healthcare providers for astronauts during missions. Dr. Manny Urquieta, who founded the aerospace medicine division at UCF, notes that space medicine is a relatively new field, only emerging since the 1960s with the first human spaceflights.
Urquieta, who previously served as chief medical officer at the Johnson Space Center, is leading the establishment of a master’s degree and residency program in space medicine. This initiative aims to equip future physicians with the skills needed to care for astronauts and pilots.
Students in the program will conduct health checks for astronauts before missions, help select new astronaut candidates, and support their training. Once selected, these physicians will be responsible for astronauts’ medical clearance and care during missions, utilizing telemedicine, and may even travel to space themselves to provide direct support. Additionally, trained physicians will assist astronauts at recovery sites following their missions.
