Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

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First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini
2. Mercury Ballistic Program
The proposed ballistic flight (MR-3) has been scheduled for early May.
NASA personnel state that from a medical standpoint, all essential studies are
complete. Medical approval is based on experience which includes the apparent
ability of pilots to adapt to the increasing stresses generated by the F and X series
of aircraft, the balloon programs, the centrifuge trails in the Mercury profile and
the successful flight of Ham in MR-2. The increased severity of the several known
stresses of ballistic flight are recognized, but it is argued, the individual parameters
involved are not greatly in excess of those already experienced.
The panel’s uneasiness arises from incidents experienced for which
little or no explanation is available. These include the unexplained but apparent
medical deaths of three pilots in the F series of aircraft, experimental findings of
temporal lobe epilepsy in monkeys at 5g (no comparable [14] detailed studies
exist on man), loss of consciousness and seizures in qualified pilots during jet
flights and disorientation experienced by an astronaut for two days following a
centrifuge run, and lack of comparable animal data on the centrifuge for the
profile flown by Ham. Further, although perhaps of less importance, vomiting by
one of the early monkeys in ballistic flight and the presence of blood on Ham’s
harness have not been explained. Finally, the animal experimental program at
Johnsville and elsewhere has been limited in scope. Data on maximum stress
limits and physiological and neurological observations which would allow one to
draw a series of medical graphs represents animal vs man leading to an estimation
of man’s position are not available.
3. Mercury Orbital Program
In contrast to the ballistic program, NASA personnel state that much more
needs to be done prior to the first manned orbital flight. The combined stresses
may be much greater than any heretofore experienced. Thus the requirement for
ground and animal flight tests data is stringent. The panel is not aware of any firm
programs which will accomplish the necessary medical studies, although brief
references were made of plans to obtain metabolic information, blood pressure
measurements, and electroencepholographic [sic] tracings during centrifuge
and actual flight tests. We are concerned that these plans were not designed to
assess the critical parameters in sufficient detail to permit predictions of astronaut
reactions to prolonged orbital flight.
The current program is centered on a small in-house group of physicians.
Funds are not available to provide for the extensive university support required or
expand current work in DOD laboratories. While it is true that Project Mercury
cannot be expected to provide the national effort in space medicine, certain
problems must be vigorously and intelligently attacked to provide a minimum of
clinical data. Certainly, all relevant information, including that obtained by the
Soviet Union should be assembled and subjected to critical analysis.
The panel noted with approval plans to fly a second chimpanzee in orbit
prior to man; however, it should be realized that this one additional flight can only
provide minimum data, and consideration should be given to whatever animal