The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space.
- Christine Rincon, founder of The Space Nurse, is pushing for nursing to be formally integrated into space missions and aerospace planning.
- Space missions to Mars could last six months one way, making evacuation unrealistic and requiring more independent medical care.
- Nurses already use skills that align with aerospace roles, including “human in the loop processes,” which are critical in technology-driven environments.
Podcast Episode
>>Listen to "The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space. (With Christine Rincon, The Space Nurse)"
As NASA and private space companies plan missions farther from Earth, one nurse is working to make sure nursing is part of the conversation.
Christine Rincon founded The Space Nurse to advocate for a formal role for nurses in space travel and long-duration missions.
Her message is that if humans are going to live and thrive in space, not just survive, nurses need to be involved.
Why Nursing Is Missing From Space Missions
Rincon became a nurse in 2015. At the time, she said space nursing “wasn’t really a thing.”
She initially believed that by the time she gained experience, opportunities might open up. By 2026, Rincon realized the profession still did not have a clear pathway into space operations.
Currently, space missions rely on a flight surgeon, and a biomedical engineering team in mission control.
If a medical issue occurs aboard the International Space Station, teams coordinate from Earth and evacuate if needed.
But as Rincon pointed out, missions to Mars would take about six months to reach their destination. Evacuation would not be an option.
As space agencies plan to go farther, Rincon believes medical teams must begin to "mirror Earth."
“Who better to care for the whole person than the nurse?” she said.
Nurses Already Have the Skills NASA Needs
Rincon said many NASA job postings use engineering terms that may cause nurses to overlook opportunities.
One example she shared: “human in the loop processes.”
At first, Rincon did not recognize the term and assumed it did not apply to her. After researching it, she realized nurses use human in the loop processes daily.
Examples she provided include:
- Opening a medication dispensing system like Pixis and deciding whether to override a warning
- Reviewing electronic medical record sepsis alerts and determining whether a patient is truly septic
In both cases, the machine provides data, but the human makes the final decision.
Rincon said nurses may read those job postings and move on without realizing that the experience described applies to them.
She also referenced NASA Standard 3001, which outlines environmental requirements such as:
- Temperature
- Air quality
- Oxygen levels
According to Rincon, nurses understand those parameters in practical, patient-centered ways.
Microgravity Changes Patient Care
Rincon is currently teaching nurses about how microgravity affects the human body.
Gravity, she explained, is something healthcare providers take for granted until it is gone.
In microgravity:
- Fluids float
- Blood shifts to the head and chest
- There is less blood in the periphery
- IV fluids do not drip downward
- Air bubbles disperse throughout fluid bags
- Vomit does not fall and can pose risks to equipment
She emphasized that what nurses expect to happen to the body in a gravity-based environment “is not what’s going to happen” in space.
Rincon also noted that CPR in space looks dramatically different from CPR performed on Earth.
The Rise of Space Tourism
Rincon said space medicine planning is still largely focused on highly screened, extremely healthy astronauts.
But commercial space travel introduces a new population: space tourists.
Unlike astronauts, tourists may not have the same physical conditioning or training. Rincon gave the example of nausea in space, something most astronauts experience.
In a zero-gravity environment, vomiting does not fall downward. If it contacts electronics, it could become dangerous.
Rincon believes nurses are well positioned to address these operational realities.
Nurses manage:
- Activities of daily living
- Early signs of abnormal changes
- Training and education
- Ongoing patient support
Rincon also shared an example from a conference discussion about a head tilt study used to simulate microgravity.
When she asked how participants would go to the bathroom, she said nobody had an answer.
"They don't think about these things," Rincon said.
Building the Path Forward
Rincon said she is actively networking with NASA and private space companies, including:
- Blue Origin
- SpaceX
- Virgin
- Axiom, which hopes to build a space station
Her goal is advocacy now and consultation in the future.
Because this path has not yet been established, Rincon said much of her work involves explaining why nursing is important in space operations.
She also addressed imposter syndrome, recalling that she once introduced herself as “just a nurse” in engineering-heavy spaces.
Members of the broader space community pushed back on that language and acknowledged that nurses are needed.
“You are needed,” she said. “You don’t have to be afraid to walk into these rooms.”
To listen to their full conversation, check out the Love n’ Leary Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or right here on nurse.org/lovenleary!
🤔Nurses, would you consider working in aerospace or space medicine? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!
