Blog written by Joan Vernikos PhD, Thirdage llc, Culpeper VA, USA While teaching Pharmacology at Ohio State University (OSU), I was lured to NASA Ames Research Center in 1964 by Dr.Eric Ogden, the Chair in Physiology at OSU and a cardiovascular physiologist, to join him in a small unit of five research scientists. My background had been in brain/stress regulation; there was also a microbiologist, an exercise physiologist, a metabolism and a biological rhythm scientist. Very little was known about what happens to humans in space; our observations from one flight to the next slowly enabled us to form a picture of what might be happening, but progress was gradual. We had to find a way to at least simulate the effects of space flight on the ground and facilitate research that would complement and help us understand what the consequences of living in the microgravity of space might be. Eventually, the optimal model adopted by the space science research community as a means for studying the physiological changes occurring in weightlessness during spaceflight was 6˚ Head Down Bed Rest (HDBR) or variations of this. In essence, by lying down continuously, the maximum influence of the force of gravity pulling down on us, Gz (head-to-toe), is minimised to Gx (across the chest). It was from such studies in healthy volunteers that I first noticed the similarity in changes seen in astronauts in space to those of people ageing on Earth. Muscle and bone wasting, reduced blood volume, a type of anemia, fluid and electrolyte shifts, cardiovascular deficits, and reduced aerobic capacity alterations in space all resulted on return to Earth in the astronauts experiencing fainting, and disturbed balance and coordination. These changes are also known to be the underlying causes of falls in the elderly. However, this conclusion was met with disbelief, including my own, since healthy young astronauts and HDBR volunteers recovered soon after returning to Earth or on becoming ambulatory. As knowledge accumulated and the duration of space missions grew longer, it has become clear that both the physiological response to spending time in space, as well as the ageing process on Earth, are gravity-dependent conditions. The beginning of September saw InnovaSpace Scientific Director Thais Russomano take part in a scientific meeting and workshop event at Moltrasio, in the beautiful Lake Como region of Italy. The occasion had representatives from 12 different countries, including InnovaSpace Advisory Board member Marlise A dos Santos, the current Coordinator of the MicroG research centre, PUCRS. The event, called Bellagio II, followed on from a previous and similar initiative that happened in Bellagio in 2004, and related to the application of space medicine knowledge and technology on terrestrial medicine, health sciences, human performance and longevity. The ultimate goals were to identify space medicine findings and countermeasures with the highest probability of having future terrestrial application and to develop a roadmap for the translation of these prioritised measures to future health research and intervention development here on Earth. The invitation-only meeting covered a series of presentations on the latest and most important areas of space life sciences, such as the medical and legal issues of space missions, space travel and genetics, space radiation and pharmacy, nutrition and food systems for health and wellness, physiological fitness and exercise countermeasures, behavioural sciences in space, space physiology and medical emergencies during space missions. Thais and Marlise contributed with presentations in the areas of space pharmacy, astrobiology, space physiology and management of medical emergencies in microgravity and hypogravity environments. Two NASA astronauts Skyped in from the US during the meeting, and Thais had the opportunity to question them on their views about the best example of technological transfer from Space to Earth. Astronaut Ellen Baker (MD) believes the knowledge gained from experiencing the circadian rhythm alterations that occur on a daily basis during a space mission to be the most interesting contribution to terrestrial medicine, with the International Space Station completing a full orbit of the Earth every 90 min at a speed of 27,000 km/h, which means the astronauts onboard see a sunrise or sunset every 45 min. Astronaut Michael Barratt (MD) considers the knowledge gained regarding human physiology alterations that occur in Space to be the most important example of knowledge transfer from Space to Earth, as it is very difficult to properly simulate through ground-based studies the effect that the removal of gravity has on our physiology. Interestingly, the main goals of the Bellagio II meeting are in harmony with one of the areas that InnovaSpace is currently establishing, namely, the transfer of extraterrestrial technology to terrestrial applications. InnovaSpace Advisory Board member, Gustavo Dalmarco, who is an expert in technological transfer and innovation, will coordinate this new initiative, which will come under the umbrella of the InnovaSpace Space2Earth Hub. Manned exploration of Mars is really only a matter of time, and some even say it is a necessity that we step foot on Martian soil. Stephen Hawking declared at a lecture in 2008 "If the human race is to continue for another million years, we will have to boldly go where no one has gone before", while SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk confirmed his belief that "Humans need to be a multiplanet species" in an interview with website Slate in 2015. Currently there are two operational and mobile US Mars rovers exploring the surface of the planet, Opportunity landed successfully in 2004 and Curiosity in 2012, so there is already much we know about the surface and landscape of the Red Planet. What awaits any visitors to Mars is a very hostile and harsh environment; its atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's and is 95% carbon dioxide; temperatures can range from -125°C near the poles in winter to +20°C at midday near the equator; and the surface is covered in a layer of dust containing very fine-grained silicate minerals that tend to stick to surfaces and could be hazardous if breathed in. So the question is how to prepare astronauts for what they are likely to confront on an inhospitable planet that lies at least 55 million kilometres away? "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching." There is undoubtedly no landscape on Earth that can exactly match the harshness of the Mars conditions, however, we can get close, such as on Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii where Hi-SEAS analogue missions take place, the Atacama desert in Peru/Chile with its Mars-like arid soils where only the most limited of bacteria can survive, and the Dhofar desert in Oman, where in February 2018 the AMADEE-18 Mars analogue will take place. The use of field research in an environment that mimics Mars conditions in some form is an excellent way of gaining experience, practicing for the 'real thing', but more importantly, understanding the advantages and limitations presented by remote science operations where access to and communications with a central control are subject to difficulties and delays.
It was with great pleasure in May this year (2017) that InnovaSpace Scientific Director Thais Russomano met up with students from the Undergraduate Course in Biomedical Informatics of the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA). Thais accepted the invitation of the students and Professor Dr. Juliana Herbert to present the lecture "Life in Microgravity and its Simulations on Earth”, as part of the II Academic Week of Biomedical Informatics at UFCSPA. The Biomedical Informatics Undergraduate Course first began its activities in 2015 and has two areas of activity: Health Informatics and Bioinformatics. The course curriculum is composed of courses related to Computer Science and to Healthcare, and is very much interdisciplinary in essence. The 3rd year of the course sees students undertake a module in "Human Machine Interface", in which topics such as cognitive and perceptive psychology, ergonomics, semiotic engineering and interface evaluation methods are discussed, considering characteristics such as usability, communicability and accessibility. The entrepreneur, visionary, investor and all-round Space enthusiast Elon Musk recently shared one more of his stellar ideas. Using social media, he unveiled photos of the new design of spacesuits for his Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, a California company better known as SpaceX. Astronauts within the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which will transport crew members on space missions, will use this new model of suit. It can be seen from Musk's photos that the design of his space clothes is very different from those used since the early 1960s, when Gagarin made the first manned Earth orbit flight. Technology has greatly improved astronaut suits over the decades, making them safer and more functional, however, only now has the heavy and uncomfortable structure given way to a more modern and sleek design. SpaceX has not yet released many details about the outfit, but Musk claims the new spacesuit has been designed to not only look more appealing, but to also associate this elegance with safety. "Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately." Musk's revelation reminded InnovaSpace Scientific Director Thais Russomano about a course she taught for the Visual Culture and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) Master’s degree, run by Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland, in which she contributed a module on Space & Design. One of her students decided to revisit the concepts of space suits, trying to add some modernity and visual sophistication to them. Interestingly, both the student and Elon Musk shared the same problems and concern, which was the art in finding the right balance between aesthetics, functionality, and strength. It is clear that the task of creating a space boutique will not be easy, nonetheless, it would definitely seem that cosmic fashion design is about to be launched. Blog written by Mary Upritchard |
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