The physiologic challenges of spaceflight remain unchanged since Spacelab-1 days. Motion sickness remains a significant, but now treatable, problem inflight. Crewmembers return with difficulties in maintaining balance. Standing upright after spaceflight can be difficult due both to labile blood pressure and unstable posture. Muscle mass and strength are reduced.
Astronauts tend to sleep poorly.
Many of these symptoms reflect major underlying changes in the nervous system. This has led to a series of questions that will be answered on Neurolab. These are basic questions about nervous system development that can only be performed without gravity, and Neurolab will provide the needed environment. The 26 Neurolab Experiments have been organized into teams, each focusing on a particular area. The experiments in each team share resources to answer the different questions addressed by each investigator.