THE APPLICANTS HAVE DEVELOPED A METHOD TO PRESERVE RED BLOOD CELLS BY DEHYDRATION FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE (YEARS) AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE BEFORE REHYDRATING WITH STERILE WATER FOR TRANSFUSION THERAPY. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROCESS WILL REDUCE OXIDATIVE DAMAGE TO THE RED BLOOD CELL MEMBRANE THAT OCCURS WITH OTHER FORMS OF STORAGE WHILE GREATLY INCREASING AND SIMPLIFYING THE SHELF LIFE FROM THE CURRENT STANDARD PRACTICE OF42 DAYS IN REFRIGERATION AT 4 C. THESE SIMPLE STORAGE CONDITIONS AND LONG SHELF LIFE WOULD MAKE THE PRESERVED RED BLOOD CELLS ATTRACTIVE FOR THE TREATMENT OF TRAUMA RADIATION-INDUCED ANEMIA AND OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD OCCUR DURING AN EXPLORATION SPACE MISSION. WHEN ANTICIPATING THE USE OF THE DEHYDRATED RED BLOOD CELLS DURING AN EXPLORATION SPACE MISSION IT MUST FIRST BE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE RED BLOOD CELLS CAN BE ADEQUATELY REHYDRATED AND REGAIN ACCEPTABLE VIABILITY AND FUNCTION GIVEN THE ALTERED FLUID PHYSICS IN A REDUCED GRAVITY AND MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT. THE INVESTIGATORS PROPOSE TWO PARABOLIC FLIGHT CAMPAIGNS TO EVALUATE THAT SPECIFIC CONCERN. IN THE FIRST FLIGHT CAMPAIGN SMALL VOLUMES OF THE DEHYDRATED RED BLOOD CELLS WILL BE REHYDRATED IN STORAGE VIALS DURING PERIODS OF LUNAR MARTIAN AND 0-G. THE GROSS AND MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE REHYDRATED RED BLOOD CELLS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS UNIFORMITY OF MIXING SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE RED BLOOD CELLS AND THE VIABILITY AND FUNCTION OF THE RED BLOOD CELLS. WITH ANY CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED AND ADDRESSED WITH THE FIRST FLIGHT CAMPAIGN A SECOND FLIGHT CAMPAIGN WILL BE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE REHYDRATION OF A STANDARD UNIT OF RED BLOOD CELLS (500 ML) ASSESS UNIFORMITY OF MIXING SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE RED BLOOD CELLS AND THE VIABILITY AND FUNCTION OF THE RED BLOOD CELLS AND ASSESS IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WHEN TRYING TO TRANSFUSE THE RED BLOOD CELLS INTO AN ANALOG LIMB VEIN MODEL. THE ANTICIPATED RESULT OF THIS PROJECT IS THE CONFIRMATION THAT THE DEHYDRATED RED BLOOD CELLS CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY REHYDRATED AND TRANSFUSED CONSISTENT WITH THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF A LUNAR COLONY OR AN EXPEDITION TO MARS ELEVATING THE TECHNOLOGY FROM TRL 4 TO TRL 6.