Purpose: The Aerospace Medical Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. It is the largest, most-representative professional membership organization in the fields of aerospace medicine and human performance.


AsMA is an umbrella group providing a forum for many different disciplines to come together and share their expertise for the benefit of all persons involved in air and space travel. The Association has provided its expertise to a multitude of Federal and international agencies on a broad range of issues, including aviation and space medical standards, the aging pilot, and physiological stresses of flight. AsMA's membership includes aerospace medicine specialists, flight nurses, physiologists, psychologists, human factors specialists, physician assistants, and researchers in this field. Most are with industry, civil aviation regulatory agencies, departments of defense and military services, the airlines, space programs, and universities. Approximately 30% of the membership originates from outside the USA.  Through the efforts of the AsMA members, safety in flight and man's overall adaptation to adverse environments have been more nearly achieved.

What is Aerospace Medicine?

Aerospace medicine concerns the determination and maintenance of the health, safety, and performance of persons involved in air and space travel. Aerospace Medicine, as a broad field of endeavor, offers dynamic challenges and opportunities for physicians, nurses, physiologists, bioenvironmental engineers, industrial hygienists, environmental health practitioners, human factors specialists, psychologists, physician assistants, and other professionals. Those in the field are dedicated to enhancing health, promoting safety, and improving performance of individuals who work or travel in unusual environments. The environments of space and aviation provide significant challenges, such as microgravity, radiation exposure, G-forces, emergency ejection injuries, and hypoxic conditions, for those embarking in their exploration. Areas of interest range from space and atmospheric flight to undersea activities.  The environments studied cover a wide spectrum extending from the microenvironments of space to the increased pressures of undersea activities. Increased knowledge of these unique environments of “Spaceship Earth” helps aerospace medicine professionals ensure participants are physically prepared, physiologically safe, and perform at the highest levels.
 

Governing Documents

Informational Documents

  • Education and Training Committee Aerospace Medicine PowerPoint slides: The Education and Training Committee has prepared a set of PowerPoint slides entitled “This Is Aerospace Medicine.” This slide show is available for viewing online or downloading from our website: