Wearing contact lenses in space shuttle operations.

More and more mission specialists are being trained to operate in the Space Shuttle and to eventually maintain a permanent station in space. Since up to 48% of the general population wears a visual correction of some sort, it is logical to assume that this percentage will also be found in the astronaut population. This paper proposes that the soft contact lens can be worn successfully in the space environment. The contact lens of choice is the continuous-wear soft contact lens which is proving to be quite successful for the general public. These lenses must be fitted at least 6 months before space flight in order to make sure they can be worn successfully.