Astronauts and representatives of space companies examined during the IAC 2026 conference in Antalya how to make human spaceflight safer, focusing on the medical, technical, and psychological risks that become more complex as mission duration increases and the spacecraft moves farther from Earth.
The discussion took place during a session titled “Has Spaceflight Become Safe for Humans?” as part of the IAF Global Networking Forum. It was moderated by Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, with the participation of Turkey’s second astronaut, Tuva Cihangir Atasever, astronauts from the United States, Europe, and Japan, and representatives of space companies.
Managing Medical and Operational Risks
Atasever said that advances in information technologies and avionics are helping to manage flight risks more effectively, while improved understanding of the effects of microgravity on the human body has enabled the development of ways to mitigate these effects. He noted that safely managing chronic health conditions could eventually open the way for people with illnesses such as diabetes to travel to commercial space stations, after health-selection criteria had previously been stricter to reduce risks.
Andrew Feustel, Vast’s chief astronaut, emphasized that astronaut training focuses on dealing with risks and that uncontrolled risk-taking is not acceptable in astronaut culture. He also stressed the importance of teamwork and relationships among crew members during long-duration missions.
For his part, European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers explained that the possibility of human error requires the use of multiple layers of protection in software, hardware, and training. He added that moving beyond low Earth orbit could reduce the risk of space debris, but would highlight other risks, particularly radiation, because of the reduced protection provided by Earth’s magnetic field.
Artificial Intelligence Between Prediction and Support
Michael Lopez-Alegria, senior vice president of human spaceflight at Axiom Space and its chief astronaut, said that artificial intelligence could help detect potential malfunctions in advance, analyze equipment operating data, and suggest proactive procedures. On distant missions, such as missions to Mars, artificial intelligence could provide support to the crew amid communications delays.
However, Lopez-Alegria also pointed to the need to examine the risk that these systems could replace human relationships, a point that is particularly important on missions during which the crew is isolated from Earth for long periods.
Psychological Health and Human-Centered Design
Thomas Marshburn, chief astronaut and vice president responsible for mission integration at Sierra Space, noted that being away from family and a familiar way of life places psychological pressure on crew members. He said that adequate sleep, regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and fatigue management are essential elements for maintaining physical and psychological health, while the absence of immediate communication with Earth and radiation add further challenges on Mars missions.
JAXA astronaut Naoko Yamazaki said that spacecraft should be designed to withstand mechanical failures, software errors, and human factors. She added that lessons learned from previous missions should be combined with transparency, accountability, and informed consent. She also called for the linguistic and cultural diversity of crew members to be taken into account by standardizing design, terminology, and indicators in ways that reduce human error.
What Is Changing in Practice?
The discussions reflect a shift in human-spaceflight safety from focusing solely on spacecraft performance toward a system encompassing data analysis, software and hardware design, health management, and crew coordination. However, the article does not present a specific system or new test results; therefore, artificial intelligence and the expansion of access to space travel remain directions under evaluation, rather than fully ready solutions.