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DAF space medicine leaders, civilian partners strategize policy at inaugural Space Force Medicine Summit
March 11, 2026 — The Air Force Surgeon General’s Space Force Medical Operations Directorate hosted more than 100 DAF leaders and civilian partners for the inaugural Space Force Medicine Stakeholder Summit to align efforts to improve Guardian medical support... MORE

Image of Airmen and Guardians talking on a panel.

711th Human Performance Wing centrifuge simulates spaceflight for astronauts
December 8, 2025 — The Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing hosted five astronauts from NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency for centrifuge training at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The centrifuge, owned and operated by 711th HPW, simulates gravitational forces, known as g-forces, and helps prepare astronauts and pilots for future missions... MORE

The only human-rated centrifuge within the Department of Defense is shown at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 20, 2025. Five astronauts from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency completed centrifuge training, which simulates gravitational forces, or g-forces, experienced during launch and return to Earth. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing owns and operates the centrifuge. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge)

Air Force, VA preserve vital Vietnam, Korean War veteran biospecimens for future study
September 30, 2025 — The Department of Air Force transferred more than 178,000 biological samples from Vietnam and Korean War veterans to the Department of Veterans Affairs in August, concluding an 18-year effort to safeguard them for future studies... MORE

AFRL, 59th Medical Wing launch space medical research group
November 30, 2023 — A newly established collaboration between the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Human Effectiveness Directorate, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is creating a military research working group to address defense space-linked medical research gaps... MORE

A graphic depicting Rocket Cargo, one of the Department of Air Force Vanguard programs that focuses on rapid global mobility including delivery of medical supplies. The Clinical and Operational Space Medicine Innovation Consortium, or COSMIC, created a research working group to address defense space-linked medical research gaps. This newly established collaboration between the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Human Effectiveness Directorate, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the 59th Medical Wing will serve as a platform to fuse human health and performance research capabilities and expertise across both organizations. (U.S. Air Force illustration)

Air Force studies fatigue and sleep to enhance readiness
January 2, 2020 — The Air Force is studying sleep habits among Airmen to find ways to improve performance and ensure their readiness to support the mission... MORE

A U.S. Air Force Airman sleeps inside a C-17 Globemaster III during a flight over an undisclosed location in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel, Jan. 22, 2018. Airmen supporting OFS work to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and international extremist groups. (U.S. Air Force illustration)