Wyle Laboratories — Optical Coherence Tomography for SANS Monitoring¶
Type: NASA Support Contractor (JSC) / Medical Operations
PI: Douglas J. Ebert (Wyle Laboratories, Houston TX — NASA JSC contractor)
Outcome Category: FO → ISS Operational Deployment → Artemis Mini OCT Pipeline
Investigated: Session 27, 2026-04-06
Last updated: Session 75, 2026-04-07
Summary¶
Wyle Laboratories (a NASA JSC support contractor) used FO flights to mature Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) hardware for microgravity use, advancing it from TRL 4 to TRL 6. OCT provides high-resolution retinal imaging critical for diagnosing Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), which affects ~50% of long-duration astronauts. The technology was deployed on the ISS as Investigation #1146 (Optical Coherence Tomography Technology Demonstration), becoming a standard medical diagnostic instrument for crew health monitoring. OCT data from ISS astronauts has generated multiple peer-reviewed publications (ARVO Journals 2022, JAMA Ophthalmology, npj Microgravity) and enabled machine learning research (SANS-CNN, npj Microgravity 2024). A follow-on Mini OCT project 157621 at JSC (TRL 5→9, 2022–2029) is now developing a miniaturized version for Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars. This is one of the clearest FO→ISS→Artemis technology pipelines in the portfolio.
FO Project¶
| Project | Title | TRL | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12464 | Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Microgravity | 4 → 6 | 2013-08 – 2016-08 | Completed |
What Was Tested¶
Optical Coherence Tomography: A non-invasive diagnostic technique that renders in vivo cross-sectional views of the retina. OCT enables: - Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness analysis - Choroidal thickness measurement - Detection of optic disc edema, globe flattening, and choroidal folds - All key biomarkers of SANS
The FO project validated OCT hardware performance in microgravity environments, demonstrating that clinical-quality retinal imaging could be achieved during parabolic flight. This raised the TRL from laboratory concept (4) to system demonstration in relevant environment (6).
Downstream Impact¶
ISS Operational Deployment (Investigation #1146)¶
OCT was deployed on the International Space Station as Investigation #1146 — the "Optical Coherence Tomography Technology Demonstration." The instrument became part of NASA's standard crew health monitoring suite. OCT scans are now performed routinely on ISS crew members pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight.
This is an FO technology that became operational ISS infrastructure.
Publications Using ISS OCT Data¶
- Patel et al., IOVS/ARVO Journals 2022: "Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of International Space Station Astronauts" — analysis of retinal changes in ISS crew using the deployed OCT instrument
- Patel et al., JAMA Ophthalmology 2018: "Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of the Optic Nerve Head and Surrounding Structures in Long-Duration International Space Station Astronauts"
- SANS-CNN, npj Microgravity 2024: "An automated machine learning technique for spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome with astronaut imaging data" — ML applied to OCT scans for automated SANS detection
- NTRS reports: Multiple NASA Technical Reports Server entries on OCT integration and operational transition (20170009503, 20170009598)
- npj Microgravity 2025: "Non invasive monitoring for spaceflight associated neuro ocular syndrome: responding to a need for in flight methodologies" — methodology paper for expanding in-flight SANS diagnostics
- ScienceDirect 2025: "Artificial Intelligence Deep Learning Models to Predict Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome" — uses OCT data
- Life Sciences in Space Research 2025: "The case for anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) for the international space station and future planetary spaceflight" — advocates expanding OCT from posterior to anterior segment monitoring using the existing Spectralis' Anterior Segment Module. The ISS Spectralis already has this capability but AS-OCT is not routinely performed.
- npj Microgravity 2026: "Anterior segment biomechanics and intraocular pressure in microgravity: implications for future spaceflight studies" — first study of phakic vs. pseudophakic anterior segment changes in microgravity, extending SANS research beyond the retina
- MDPI Life 2025: "Risk of Permanent Corneal Injury in Microgravity" — spaceflight-associated hazards to vision restoration
Mini OCT for Artemis (157621)¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Program | MCO (Medical Crew Operations) |
| Lead | Johnson Space Center |
| TRL | 5 → 9 (target) |
| Period | 2022-10 – 2029-03 |
| Destinations | Moon, Mars, Cislunar |
| Co-Is | Brandon Macias, Jason Lytle, Tyson Brunstetter, Katrina Carter, Jennyffer Smith |
The Mini OCT project is developing a miniaturized, portable OCT device suitable for Artemis lunar missions and eventual Mars missions. Target TRL 9 indicates NASA plans to make this an operational Artemis medical instrument. The project runs through 2029, spanning the Artemis III-V mission timeline. Note (Session 68): Artemis III was restructured in February 2026 to a LEO test mission (no lunar landing); first crewed lunar landing is now Artemis IV (early 2028). Mini OCT's timeline and relevance are unaffected — the project encompasses all three missions, and a LEO Artemis III could provide an earlier, lower-risk opportunity for crew medical diagnostics testing. See Artemis III Restructuring Impact.
Pipeline: FO parabolic flights (2013–2016) → ISS deployment (Investigation #1146) → Artemis Mini OCT (2022–2029)
Context: SANS as a Critical Spaceflight Risk¶
SANS is one of NASA's highest-priority human health risks for long-duration spaceflight: - Affects ~50% of long-duration ISS crew - Symptoms: optic disc edema, hyperopic shift, cotton wool spots, globe flattening, choroidal folds - No permanent vision loss reported yet, but some effects persist years post-mission - Major concern for Artemis lunar surface missions and Mars transit
OCT is the primary diagnostic instrument for SANS — without it, NASA cannot monitor crew vision health in real time. The FO project that matured this technology directly enables crew health monitoring for all current and planned missions.
Wyle / KBR Wyle Context¶
Wyle (now KBR Wyle) is a long-standing NASA JSC support contractor providing medical operations, crew health monitoring, and flight surgeon support. Douglas Ebert works within this NASA contractor ecosystem. The OCT project exemplifies contractor-led FO innovation — Wyle used FO to mature a diagnostic capability that feeds directly into their ongoing ISS and Artemis crew health mission support contracts.
HHPC-2 Contract (Session 55 update)¶
KBR Wyle Services won the Human Health and Performance Contract 2 (HHPC-2) — a potential $3.6B, 10-year single-award IDIQ contract to support NASA JSC's Human Health and Performance Directorate (base 5 years starting November 2025, two option periods through 2035). Leidos is subcontractor. The contract covers: Human Research Program, ISS Program, Commercial Crew Program, and the Artemis campaign. This means the same contractor ecosystem that produced the FO OCT project continues to manage crew health diagnostics (including OCT/SANS monitoring) through the full Artemis timeline. The OCT → Mini OCT → Artemis arc is being sustained by the same organizational infrastructure that originated it.
Dollar context: The FO project that produced ISS OCT was a relatively small investment. KBR Wyle's $3.6B HHPC-2 is the institutional umbrella that sustains the SANS monitoring program — from ISS routine OCT scans to Mini OCT development for lunar/Mars missions.
Timeline¶
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | FO project begins; OCT deployed on ISS (Investigation #1146) |
| 2016 | FO project completes (TRL 4→6) |
| 2017 | NTRS reports on OCT integration and operational transition |
| 2018 | JAMA Ophthalmology: OCT analysis of ISS astronauts |
| 2022 | IOVS/ARVO: OCT analysis of ISS astronauts; Mini OCT project begins at JSC |
| 2024 | SANS-CNN ML paper using OCT data (npj Microgravity) |
| 2025 | npj Microgravity: non-invasive SANS monitoring methodology; AS-OCT case paper; AI/deep learning SANS models; KBR Wyle wins HHPC-2 ($3.6B, Nov 2025 start) |
| 2026 | npj Microgravity: anterior segment biomechanics in microgravity; OCT research expanding from posterior to anterior segment |
| 2029 | Mini OCT target completion for Artemis |
Maturation time: FO start (2013) → ISS deployment (2013, concurrent) → Artemis project (2022) = 9 years and counting
Institutional continuity: KBR Wyle HHPC-2 (through 2035) ensures the same contractor ecosystem sustains OCT/SANS monitoring through the full Artemis timeline.
Verification¶
- Sample size: 1 FO project, ISS Investigation #1146 confirmed, 9+ publications (growing), 1 active Artemis follow-on
- Query used:
techport_get_project(12464, 157621),techport_find_projects("Optical Coherence Tomography SANS"), web search for ISS OCT SANS, PubMed/npj Microgravity search for 2025-2026 SANS publications (Session 75) - Counter-query: Verify Mini OCT hardware has flown — project is active through 2029, TRL 5, not yet flight-qualified
- Session 75 finding: OCT/SANS research is accelerating, not plateauing — 4+ new publications in 2025-2026 alone, with expansion from posterior to anterior segment monitoring. The AS-OCT paper reveals the ISS Spectralis already has anterior segment capability that isn't being routinely used — a low-hanging-fruit expansion of the FO-originated platform.
- Confidence: Confirmed for ISS deployment and publication impact. Confirmed for Mini OCT Artemis pipeline (active funded project). Suggestive for Artemis flight.
Cross-References¶
- Related SANS research: UT Southwestern ICP (FO→SANS countermeasure via ICP measurement)
- Related ISS medical: Henry Ford ultrasound (FO→ISS medical protocol)
- Related ISS medical: MGH NINscan (FO→clinical neuroimaging)
- Mission infusion: FO Mission Infusion Summary
- Archetype: FO → ISS Operational Infrastructure → Artemis — FO validated hardware that became a standard ISS instrument, now being miniaturized for deep space missions. The clearest three-stage technology pipeline in the FO portfolio.
Updated: Session 75, 2026-04-07 — added 2025-2026 SANS/OCT publications, AS-OCT expansion finding, anterior segment biomechanics