Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D.NASA Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas

www.spaceflight.nasa.gov

Microbiological Risks Associated With Spaceflight

MICROBIOLOGY MISSION STATEMENT 

Our mission is to enable human exploration and habitation of space through a better understanding of microbes and human–microbe interactions in the space environment.  

MAJOR FOCUS: RISK MITIGATION

• SPACE FLIGHT OPERATIONS

• OPERATIONAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

• REQUIREMENTS• ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING• CREW DIAGNOSTICS• FOOD ANALYSIS• CREW TRAINING• DATABASE 

• INFECTIOUS DISEASE RISK (HOST-MICROBE INTERACTION)• SPACE FLIGHT• GROUND-BASED

• Infectious Diseases

• Allergies• Plant Diseases

• Material Degradation

• Immune Alteration

• Volatile Release• Food Spoilage

• Environmental Contamination

• Toxin Production

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MICROORGANISMS

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Acceptability standards– (air, surfaces, water, and food)

• Preflight assessment– Crew– Environment– Payload biosafety assessment

• In-flight environmentalmonitoring– Air: Microbial Air Sampler– Surfaces: Surface Sampler Kit– Water: Water Microbiology Kit

STS MISSION PROFILESTS MISSION PROFILE

PREFLIGHT IN-FLIGHT POSTFLIGHT

ACTIVITIES

Microbiology

Viral Serology

Food Analysis

Orbiter Evaluation

Crew Evaluation

Orbiter Water

L-90

L-30

L-2

R+0

L-40

ServicingL-15

L-2 R+0

CF

U/m

33

00

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

FD12

Middeck FlightDeck

Spacelab

FD1

Middeck FlightDeck

Spacelab

FD6

Middeck FlightDeck

Spacelab

Bacteria Fungi

AIR DATA STS-58AIR DATA STS-58

Isolation Frequency (%)0 20 40 60 80 100

Staphylococcus sp.

Micrococcus sp.

Bacillus sp.

Corynebacterium sp.

Staphylococcus aureus

Streptococcus sp.

Acinetobacter sp.

Enterobacter sp.

Unidentified gram negative rods

Serratia marcescens

Pseudomonas paucimobilis

Klebsiella sp.

Flavobacterium sp.

Bacteria Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air Bacteria Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)(n=16)

Isolation Frequency (%)Isolation Frequency (%)0 20 40 60 80 100

Aspergillus sp.

Penicillium sp.

Hyphomycete

Aspergillus fumigatus

Cladosporium sp.

Alternaria sp.

Streptomyces sp.

Drechslera sp.

Microsporium sp.

Rhodotorula sp.

Geotrichum sp.

Nigrospora sp.

Pleospora sp.

Fungi Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)Fungi Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)

Gareth Cook, Boston Globe Staff (10-1-00)

“. . . The aging mir …. is nearly overrun withthe stuff (fungi). Vistors have found numerous

fungal patches with hues between green andblack, feeding behind control panels, slowly

digesting the ship’s air conditioner,communications unit, and myriad other

surfaces.”

Yuri Karash

Space.com 7/27/00

“. . . Mir crewmembers noticed that the viewfrom the station’s porthole was deteriorating

due to an unknown film that was spreading likehorror movie scum.”

Water Surfaces

Air

MICROBIAL ANALYSIS DURING FLIGHTMICROBIAL ANALYSIS DURING FLIGHT

Wolf spent several hours working with Vinagradov

to mop up a basketball-size drop of water………

“I didn’t realize I bought myself anywhere

from two to six hours per day doing this

for the rest of the mission.”

Wolf spent several hours working with Vinagradov

to mop up a basketball-size drop of water………

“I didn’t realize I bought myself anywhere

from two to six hours per day doing this

for the rest of the mission.”

- Astronaut David Wolf- Astronaut David Wolf

from DRAGONFLY by Bryan Burrough

NASA 6

“SLIMY” SAMPLE

NASA 7

“SLIMY” SAMPLE

NASA 7

“FRESH” SAMPLEAlcaligenes eutrophusAlcaligenes latusCitrobacter freundiiCorynebacterium aquaticumCorynebacterium jeikeiumEnterobacter agglomeransEscherichia coliHydrogenophaga flavaKingella denitrificanMethylobacterium speciesPseudomonas vesicularisSerratia liquefaciensUnidentified gram negative rodXanthomonas maltophilia

Bacillus coagulansBacillus licheniformisBacillus pumilusBacillus speciesComamonas acidovoransCorynebacterium speciesEnterobacter cloacaePresumptive Legionella speciesPseudomonas species Rhodococcus speciesSerratia liquefaciensSerratia marceransSphingobacterium thalpophilumUnidentified gram negative rods (4)Yersinia frederikseniiYersinia intermedia

Alcaligenes faecalisBacillus circulansBacillus coagulansBacillus licheniformisBacillus pumilusBacillus speciesCDC Group IVC 2Citrobacter brackiiCitrobacter freundiiComamonas acidovoransCorynebacterium speciesFlavobacterium meningosepticumPresumptive Legionella species Pseudomonas fluorescensSerratia liquefaciensSerratia marcesensUnidentified gram negative rods (3)Yersinia frederikseniiYersinia intermedia

Escherichia coli

Serratia marcescens

Presumptive Legionella

BACTERIA FROM MIR SURFACE BACTERIA FROM MIR SURFACE CONDENSATECONDENSATE

ciliated protozoa

ameoba spirochete-form bacterium

dust mite

Organisms Recovered From Mir Surface Condensate

BACTERIAL FINGERPRINTING

• Microorganisms play a key role in the biodestruction of materials and can contribute to equipment and hardware malfunctions

BIODEGRADATIONBIODEGRADATION

Future Directions

Major Challenges in Mars Exploration

• Air

• Water

• Food

• Forward-Backward Contamination

• Crew Contamination

• Habitability

• Radiation Effects