Living in space

This book shows how man fits into the scheme of space exploration and the means by which he becomes a functional and necessary element of the spacecraft. For the most part, it regards man in space today; but where it is relevant to do so from a technical or physiological viewpoint, it also looks at man's future activity in space. Since man was not designed by nature to exist in space, the major problem to be overcome is in adapting him to the space flight environment. This process is examined in five chapters that describe the hazards of manned space flight, the stresses upon the astronaut, the means of selecting the best men and simulating space to train them, and the methods of maintaining life in space. Chapter 6 looks at the all-important problems of maintaining contact with the astronaut by means of biotelemetry. Chapter 7 looks at some of the valuable medical "byproducts" that accrue to man on Earth as a result of research to place man in space. The future prospects for manned space travel in both the US and USSR form the contents of the final chapter. - p. 19.