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Thirty-four participants from seventeen countries participated in the Planetary Defense Team Project at the International Space University's 2015 Space Studies Program (ISU-SSP15) to find solutions for short-term warning cosmic threats. The team spent nine weeks working intensively on departmental and lecture activities alongside this project. Space agencies and institutions around the world have discussed cosmic threats, including planetary defense. However, not enough attention has been given to a potentially catastrophic event; what has been done is limited to possible long-term cosmic threats. Having no specific pathway on how to tackle this global challenging task at the beginning of the project, the Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) methodology was used to enable the team to identify main elements of the project, starting from developing the mission statement, needs and requirements, and to proposing solutions to planetary defense. These elements include detection and tracking, deflection, collaboration, outreach and education, evacuation and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Space radiation can cause different types of cancers in crewmembers, especially during long-term space missions. Introduction: To date, a complete bilateral breast ultrasound has not been performed at the International Space Station (ISS). A breast screening imaging technique could be a useful tool for early identification of breast cancer in astronauts. We hypothesized that breast ultrasound performed by a crewmember while being remotely guided by a specialist from the ground could be an essential tool for medical diagnosis in space. This project aimed to test an ultrasound screening protocol for breast tissue using real-time remotely guided telemedicine techniques. Materials and Methods: One female volunteer, with no previous medical experience, performed a self-scanned bilateral breast ultrasound exam guided by a remote sonographer. Dynamic ultrasound images were collected using a 25 mm broadband linear array transducer. To simulate fluid shift on the volunteer during microgravity, the bed was tilted −6°. Results: Recorded ultrasound images were analyzed by radiologists, comparing the findings with a gold standard. The experiment demonstrated that real-time remotely guided sonography exam is feasible and can yield meaningful clinical results. Discussion: This case study showed that remotely guided breast ultrasound can be performed and might become an important tool for diagnosis of breast cancer in space missions. Conclusion: The results cannot be generalized based on one subject, and additional research is warranted in this area in addition to its validation on the ISS. This technique, however, has potential for use as part of preventive medicine procedures for long-term space missions at the ISS, and eventually for human settlements on the Moon and Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Planetary Defense is an important and challenging topic, and long‐term mitigation of asteroid impacts have been discussed by governments and space agencies; however, short‐term solutions of comet impacts are rarely considered. 34 participants from 17 countries tackled this problem, a comet impact two years after detection, at the 2015‐Space Studies Program and produced the Roadmap for EArth Defense Initiatives (READI). The Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) methodology was used to identify the mission statement, define requirements and needs, and provide possible solutions. This paper concentrates on how the IPPD was applied as a systems approach to each phase of our project, where the whole system was Planetary Defense, and its architectural decomposition was divided into five key elements: detection and tracking, deflection techniques, global collaboration, outreach and education, and evacuation and recovery. The importance of applying human factor concepts throughout the project is addressed through challenges faced, solutions applied, and lessons learned. Verification and validation of selected options are presented, along with the use of various project management tools. Furthermore, we discuss our results and recommendations for Planetary Defense, as they are products of our analysis using the IPPD approach to systems engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]