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Research indicates that adaptation to a microgravity environment includes physiological changes to the cardiovascular-respiratory, musculoskeletal, and neurosensory systems. Many of these alterations emerge even during space flights of short duration. Therefore, the advancement of manned space flight from Shuttle to Space Station Freedom (SSF) requires development of effective methods for augmenting the ability of humans to maintain functional performance. Thus, it is the goal of NASA to minimize the consequences of microgravity-induced deconditioning to provide optimal in-flight performance (intra- and extra-vehicular activities), suitable return to a pedestrian environment, and nominal physiological postflight recovery for an expeditious return-to-flight physical status.

During the launch phase of a Space Shuttle mission, the crew is subjected to sustained linear accelerations of up to 3Gx. The objective of this study was to quantify the crew's reach performance while wearing the currently used Launch and Entry Suit (LES) under both a 1Gx and a 3Gx load, which is the maximum acceleration ever experienced during a launch. Four veteran astronaut/pilots were test subjects for this study. Quantitative data was obtained from photogrammetric data captured while each subject rode the Brooks Air Force Base centrifuge and performed a variety of reach tasks. At 3Gx the subjects showed small changes of reach capability in the +x (forward) direction which ranged from an improvement of 2.04 cm to a decrease of 14.4 cm. Surprisingly, reach performance in the +z (overhead) direction was improved in three of four subjects indicating that any task which could be accomplished while exposed to 1Gx could definitely be done at 3Gx.