NASA advisory panel looks at contractor safety, Mars mission risks

Washington — Oversight of contractors and management of astronaut health during possible future missions to Mars are among the top concerns highlighted by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel in its latest annual report.

ASAP is an advisory committee that reports to NASA and Congress. Its report, released Feb. 19, looks at NASA’s safety performance, accomplishments and challenges over the past year.

The panel notes that, in recent years, NASA has increased its use of “service contracts,” an arrangement in which the agency “procures services to meet mission requirements rather than overseeing a contractor’s development and production processes directly.”

According to the report, “The safety implications of these contract choices depend on who – NASA or the contractor – assumes responsibility for specific risks during program execution.”

How NASA manages risk through contractor choices is a significant focus area for the ASAP. “The panel sees an opportunity for NASA to apply lessons learned from various contracting mechanisms to improve both program performance and safety,” the report states.

ASAP also points out that research gained through NASA’s Human Research Program is essential to understanding risks during long-term missions such as those to Mars. One such emerging risk is the potential for blood clots in the jugular veins located in the neck.

“For Mars missions, understanding human resilience in space is crucial,” the report states.

The panel also expresses concerns about the loss of vital research opportunities when or if the International Space Station is decommissioned. The report advocates for “prioritizing continued access to low-Earth orbit for vital health research.”

It adds: “Without this research, managing long-term exploration risks could be unfeasible. The panel calls for uninterrupted human research to ensure astronaut health and mission success for future Mars exploration.”