Smart medical devices that help astronauts handle emergencies such as electrical burns will become part of the International Space Station perhaps as early as next month. Further down the road, astronauts in trouble may also rely on “virtual clinics” on earth for in-depth medical assistance. As more people are flown into space for longer durations, the probability of in-flight medical problems increases, says Beck, looking ahead to the first manned mission to Mars, perhaps no more than 10 years away.
