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37640PS 2008
NASAS ASTRONAUT HEALTH CARESYSTEMRESULTS OF AN
INDEPENDENT REVIEW
HEARINGBEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
Serial No. 11052
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology
(
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:32 Jan 11, 2008 Jkt 037640 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\WORKD\SA07\090607\37640 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1

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COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, ChairmanJERRY F. COSTELLO, IllinoisEDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, TexasLYNN C. WOOLSEY, CaliforniaMARK UDALL, ColoradoDAVID WU, OregonBRIAN BAIRD, WashingtonBRAD MILLER, North CarolinaDANIEL LIPINSKI, IllinoisNICK LAMPSON, TexasGABRIELLE GIFFORDS, ArizonaJERRY MCNERNEY, CaliforniaPAUL KANJORSKI, PennsylvaniaDARLENE HOOLEY, OregonSTEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New JerseyMICHAEL M. HONDA, CaliforniaJIM MATHESON, UtahMIKE ROSS, ArkansasBEN CHANDLER, KentuckyRUSS CARNAHAN, MissouriCHARLIE MELANCON, LouisianaBARON P. HILL, IndianaHARRY E. MITCHELL, ArizonaCHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio
RALPH M. HALL, TexasF. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR.,
WisconsinLAMAR S. SMITH, TexasDANA ROHRABACHER, CaliforniaROSCOE G. BARTLETT, MarylandVERNON J. EHLERS, MichiganFRANK D. LUCAS, OklahomaJUDY BIGGERT, IllinoisW. TODD AKIN, MissouriJO BONNER, AlabamaTOM FEENEY, FloridaRANDY NEUGEBAUER, TexasBOB INGLIS, South CarolinaDAVID G. REICHERT, WashingtonMICHAEL T. MCCAUL, TexasMARIO DIAZ-BALART, FloridaPHIL GINGREY, GeorgiaBRIAN P. BILBRAY, CaliforniaADRIAN SMITH, NebraskaPAUL C. BROUN, Georgia
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS
HON. MARK UDALL, Colorado, ChairmanDAVID WU, OregonNICK LAMPSON, TexasSTEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New JerseyMIKE ROSS, ArizonaBEN CHANDLER, KentuckyCHARLIE MELANCON, LouisianaBART GORDON, Tennessee
TOM FEENEY, FloridaDANA ROHRABACHER, CaliforniaFRANK D. LUCAS, OklahomaJO BONNER, AlabamaMICHAEL MCCAUL, Texas
RALPH M. HALL, TexasRICHARD OBERMANN Subcommittee Staff Director
PAM WHITNEY Democratic Professional Staff MemberKEN MONROE Republican Professional Staff Member
ED FEDDEMAN Republican Professional Staff MemberDEVIN BRYANT Research Assistant

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C O N T E N T SSeptember 6, 2007
PageWitness List ............................................................................................................. 2Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Bart Gordon, Chairman, Committee on Scienceand Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................... 19
Written Statement ............................................................................................ 19Statement by Representative Ralph M. Hall, Ranking Minority Member,
Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ......... 20Statement by Representative Mark Udall, Chairman, Subcommittee on Space
and Aeronautics, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House ofRepresentatives .................................................................................................... 14
Written Statement ............................................................................................ 15Statement by Representative Tom Feeney, Ranking Minority Member, Sub-
committee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science and Tech-nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 16
Written Statement ............................................................................................ 18
Panel 1:
Colonel Richard E. Bachmann, Jr., Chair, NASA Astronaut Health CareSystem Review Committee; Commander and Dean of the U.S. Air ForceSchool of Aerospace Medicine
Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 21Written Statement ............................................................................................ 23Biography .......................................................................................................... 26
Dr. Richard S. Williams, Chief Health and Medical Officer, National Aero-nautics and Space Administration
Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 28Written Statement ............................................................................................ 30
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director, Flight Crew Operations, NASA Johnson SpaceCenter
Mr. Bryan D. OConnor, Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance, National Aero-nautics and Space Administration
DiscussionContrasting Views and Findings From the Astronaut Health Care System
Review Committee ............................................................................................ 43Risks of Pre-flight Alcohol Consumption ........................................................... 45Differences and Methods of the Reviews ............................................................ 46Scope of Investigation .......................................................................................... 49Anonymity of Survey ........................................................................................... 49Alleged Instances of Alcohol Abuse .................................................................... 50Policies to Insure Employee Openness ............................................................... 51Extent of Alleged Alcohol Abuse ......................................................................... 52Openness of Safety Reporting/Recommendations and Future Programs ........ 53

PageIV
Panel 2:
Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Ad-ministration
DiscussionImplementation of Recommendations ................................................................ 61NASA Safety Culture ........................................................................................... 64Anonymity and Authenticity of Reported Incidents .......................................... 67Charter of the NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee ..... 68
Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Colonel Richard E. Bachmann, Jr., Chair, NASA Astronaut Health CareSystem Review Committee; Commander and Dean of the U.S. Air ForceSchool of Aerospace Medicine .............................................................................. 72
Dr. Richard S. Williams, Chief Health and Medical Officer, National Aero-nautics and Space Administration ...................................................................... 80
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director, Flight Crew Operations, NASA Johnson SpaceCenter .................................................................................................................... 85
Mr. Bryan D. OConnor, Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance, National Aero-nautics and Space Administration ...................................................................... 87
Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Ad-ministration .......................................................................................................... 90

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NASAS ASTRONAUT HEALTH CARE SYSTEMRESULTS OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS,
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in Room2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Mark Udall[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.

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HEARING CHARTER
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICSCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NASAs Astronaut Health CareSystemResults of anIn