​When we think of human spaceflight, it’s easy to focus on rockets, spacecraft and mission timelines. Less visible, but just as critical, is the quiet disruption of the body’s natural rhythms. On board the International Space Station, astronauts witness multiple sunrises and sunsets every day, challenging circadian systems that have evolved under a single 24-hour light–dark cycle. Sleep, hormonal regulation, cognition and overall wellbeing all depend on rhythm. The below article written by Dr Maria Helena Itaqui Lopes, originally published in the journal Zero Hora and website GZH, explores rhythm from a clinical and musical perspective, and reminds us that the language of the body matters deeply, whether on Earth or in orbit.

​One day, while studying the biography of Herbert von Karajan, the legendary conductor regarded as one of the greatest in the history of conducting and often referred to as the “conductor of conductors”, I was struck by his reflections on rhythm. He stated that “if no one teaches students the basic disciplines of rhythm, things become impossible”. Although this statement, coming from a musician, may at first seem to relate exclusively to music, in reality rhythm goes far beyond this. It encompasses a sense of balance in physical movement, mental processes, learning, self-care, daily activities and vital energy.

​Our bodies function rhythmically. We need only recall cardiac rhythm, breathing, sleep, digestive function and circadian rhythms, among many others. Of the biological rhythms that regulate bodily function, the circadian rhythm stands out as a central example, as it organises hormonal release in a time-dependent manner. The secretion of cortisol, melatonin, growth hormone and insulin follows patterns that influence metabolism, immune response, cognitive performance and tissue repair. In preventive medicine, recognising these rhythms allows functional variations to be interpreted, the timing of assessments to be guided, and interventions to be individualised.

​Still within the scope of preventive medicine, the starting point for a health review is not defined by age-related calendars nor by the presence of symptoms, but rather by the early recognition of functional changes, taking family history and genetics into account. Beginning an assessment at this stage means respecting an individual’s biological timing, interpreting subtle functional signals and anticipating risks before disease becomes established. In this way, the clinical review becomes a strategy of continuous, personalised care, aimed at preserving autonomy and health over time.

​These notions of the body’s own language interact with our daily activities. Returning to music, we know that a large proportion of Baroque works were written at a tempo of 75 to 80 beats per minute, measured by a metronome (a device used by musicians to regulate tempo by setting beats per minute), which corresponds closely to the average resting heart rate considered normal. It could be said that this synergy is pleasing to most people.

​A medical consultation also has its own rhythm, which is sometimes forgotten or even never learned. A consultation has a beginning, a development, a moment of climax and a conclusion. Expressing empathy either too early or at an inappropriate moment disrupts this balance, and the doctor–patient relationship becomes misaligned. Entering the correct frequency to properly understand a patient is a skill that requires a basic sense of rhythm. An andante tempo (a musical term referring to tempos between 72 and 84 beats per minute) closely resembles our heart rate and therefore feels comfortable to us. In other words, at the start of a consultation or during a visit to a patient in a hospital bed, the encounter should follow a rhythm that conveys safety and support from the doctor. This is a skill that should be better recognised and valued by professionals. From the patient’s perspective, the choice of when to undertake a clinical review should be carefully considered and planned for the new year that is beginning.

​Another, rather striking, story related to rhythm concerns three conductors who died while conducting the third act of Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde. The pauses in this passage are intermittent and irregular, creating tension that can affect both mind and body. Karajan, aware of this and seeking to protect himself, would dissipate this intense tension by using breathing movements to distance himself from the musical strain.
In life, as in music, it is essential to find the right rhythm for each challenge, especially when it comes to caring for one’s own health.

InnovaSpace Team comment: Last week, we shared a post about the many ways people can contribute to space exploration—without ever wearing a spacesuit. This week, we’re delighted to feature a reflection from our friend and colleague Lukasz Wilczynski, founder of the European Space Foundation and creator of the European Rover Challenge.
Łukasz recently spent a week at the University of Oxford, participating in a high-level programme of The Karman Project and Oxford Space Initiative with future leaders of the global space community. His words below speak for themselves—rich in insight, humour, and a deep belief in space as a tool for positive change.

FINAL THOUGHTS
At InnovaSpace, we echo Łukasz’s sentiment: space is not a remote, elite pursuit - it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives and our global future. It shapes how we live, how we connect, and how we look at the future.
Whether you're an engineer, artist, teacher, policymaker, or simply have a curious mind—there’s a role for you in space.
Want to get involved? Start by visiting events like the European Rover Challenge or following space organisations online.
Join in the conversation because space needs all of us!

When most people think about the type of person who will work in space, the image that springs to mind is that of an astronaut in a bulky white suit floating around outside the International Space Station! That is certainly a part of the story, however the exploration of space needs a lot more than just rocket pilots. In fact, some of the astronauts who will launch this week (July 31st 2025* - Crew-11) come from surprising backgrounds. One of them, Zena Cardman, didn’t start out flying planes or building rockets — she studied microbes in mud and explored caves and Antarctic ice looking for life in extreme environments.
Another of the astronauts, Kimiya Yui from Japan, started out in the Japanese Air Force and later trained with engineers and scientists before becoming an astronaut. Theirs and other stories like them prove that you don’t have to be a math genius or science whiz to have a future in space!
*note: launch delayed to 1st August 2025 due to weather constraints

Space Needs Everyone - Below are just a few of the surprising roles that play a huge part in exploring the cosmos:

• Writers & Communicators – NASA hires science storytellers to explain missions to the world.
• Lawyers - Space law is real! We need legal minds to navigate treaties, satellite rights, and even the ethics of space mining.
• Doctors & Biologists – Astronauts need medical support, and we need people studying how the human body changes in space, such as our very own aerospace medicine specialist Prof Thais Russomano.
• Plumbers - Plumbing is critical—someone has to make sure the water systems (and toilets!) work on the ISS and future Moon bases.
• Artists & Designers – Someone has to design mission patches, build virtual training tools, and even help plan future habitats.
• Gamers & Coders – In fact, video game skills translate well to robot control and navigation.

Whether you're into fashion, food, fitness, or filmmaking... there is room within space exploration for all of these talents and more.

India is a land of unity in diversity. Its rural and tribal corners, though brimming with curiosity and raw talent, often remain unsensitized by the conversations that shape our future, especially when it comes to space science and environmental awareness. On 14th November 2024, at Varanasi (an Indian city popular as a pilgrimage site), a quiet revolution began. LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation®, in collaboration with the Pratham Education Foundation, penned down a new chapter in the Indian space ecosystem. It was marked by a shared vision of "bringing science and space to the mainstream discussion". But this wasn't a lofty corporate pitch, but an interactive DIY science workshop on weather and climate change. This was made possible through LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation® (i.e., through our Outreach Sarabhai initiative, named after the Father of the Indian Space Program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai [Figure 1]), when we decided to go further, deeper, and wider right into the heart of rural and tribal India. But such a dream needed legs, wheels, and fuel (both literal and metaphorical). That’s where Pratham Education Foundation entered as a key collaborator. Pratham helped bring together its grassroots strength to the table: identifying school children from rural and tribal areas, arranging transportation, and managing the logistics of setting up workshops in their Creativity club centers across India.

Thus, from the ghats of Varanasi to the sub-urbans of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; from the arid desert regions in Dausa, Rajasthan to the naxalite-maoist affected, densely forested areas in Konta and Sukma in Chhattisgarh to the gateway to north-east India, i.e., Cooch-Behar, in West Bengal, India, it was a journey across the lengths and breadths of north, west, and eastern parts of India (Figure 2)

The theme for these workshops was Weather and Climate Change and was carried out under the name “Build your Weather Station”. Why? Because these children are not just future citizens, they're current stakeholders of a planet undergoing rapid change, mainly due to anti-environmental human activities. And what better way to learn than by engaging? Kids were introduced to DIY weather stations, built their thermometers, rain gauge, and anemometer, along with engaging demonstrations of magic in a glass of water explaining the concept of atmospheric pressure, cloud in a jar and bottle, a tornado in a bottle, and paper-origami rocket, and a climate satellite model making. All built from everyday materials to understand concepts of temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, rainfall, wind, and climate monitoring through. From crafting anemometers out of paper cups to decoding how clouds are born, the sessions turned into hands-on labs of discovery. The idea was simple: make science feel like play and not an academic work.

​Meet MRD-001: The Mars Recon Dog
As part of the StarG2025 platform, the MRD-001 tracked Mars Scout Dog was deployed for its first dual-test mission — one in an urban indoor setting, and another in the field among alpine meadows and virgin forests.

Why "StarG"?

• Star Guardians – Youth as defenders of ecosystems and the universe
• Star Generation – Representing the next wave of interstellar humans
• Star Growing – For ecological restoration and space biospheres
• Star Genesis – For future planetary transformation and space colonization

​

Learn more about Chris Yuan and his activities at LinkedIn
or contact him via ​[email protected]

The Ursa Minor Interstellar City (UMIC) project was born out of the need to create accessible and sustainable space simulation environments on Earth. Inspired by NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and NEEMO underwater project, as well as ESA’s CAVES programme, UMIC reimagines these concepts to provide affordable, eco-friendly simulations that bring space exploration closer to ordinary people, considering the following scientific principles:

• Low-gravity simulation: Using underwater neutral buoyancy environments to replicate microgravity for astronaut training.
• Closed ecological systems: Conducting oxygen regeneration and resource recovery experiments to simulate living conditions on the Moon and Mars.
• Human adaptation studies: Exploring human survival in extreme environments, akin to ESA’s cave studies, through underwater confined space experiments.

A Journey of Innovation
​In 2020, collaboration with Professor Thais Russomano on the Evetts-Russomano (ER) CPR method sparked the idea for UMIC’s Underwater Space City. Over four years, UMIC has developed the complete underwater space city elements: EVA training spacecraft, animal spacecraft, lunar commuter motorcycle, space farm, the world's largest astronaut helmet, and the smallest underwater cafe - Galaxy Cat Cafe (see videos below). We can even provide astronauts with a cup of hot coffee underwater, and broadcast space education for young people around the world, truly realizing the popularization of space exploration education.

​Mission and Impact
UMIC’s goal is to train commercial astronauts to thrive in space and on alien surfaces while establishing ecological, multi-species habitats. By fostering collaboration and resilience, it not only advances humanity’s path to becoming a multi-planetary species but also strengthens our ability to protect Earth and preserve its ecosystems

The webinar, organised by InnovaSpace Director Prof Thais Russomano, was presented by 4 students from the Remote Medicine iBSc program, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, and in association with the MVA (Moon Village Association). The focus of the event was on one of the most critical aspects of future lunar habitation: human health.
Join the student panel as they explore the unique environment of the Moon, the history of its human exploration from NASA Apollo Mission first steps to future Artemis plans, its potential impact on human physical health and mental well-being, Moon research and Earth-based space analogues, and research limitations and gaps in the knowledge.
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Congratulations to the presenters - Manvi Bhatt, Nareh Ghazarians, Diya Raj Yajaman, & Elvyn Vijayanathan - and good luck with your future careers. 

​I became involved in Space research whilst my husband was completing his PhD in the early 90s, acting as ‘flight nurse’ for several parabolic flight human research studies. I went on to co-develop the Evetts/Russomano (ER) technique for basic life support in space, while continuing to work as a renal specialist nurse in the UK.

​In 2011, I became the sole flight nurse for the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. I enjoyed two successful years working closely with the flight surgeons within the Operational Space Medicine Unit (OSMU), as it was called then. I was part of a team responsible for the day-to-day management and administration necessary for maintaining ESA (European Space Agency) Astronaut health. One of my key responsibilities was to track and retrieve data from medical events related to ‘pre’, ‘in’ and ‘post’ space flight activities.  
 
The role also involved working as the interface between OSMU, NASA, the ESA flight clinic and occasionally the Russian Space Agency, coordinating somewhat complex planning to ensure all flight medical examinations were completed within a rigid timescale from an Astronaut’s initial mission assignment, 18 months before they flew, to two years post-mission. The examinations took place at the locations of all 3 agencies to accommodate an Astronauts packed international training schedule. Astronauts who weren’t assigned to a mission, also required coordination of annual medicals locally.

​I particularly enjoyed good relationships with the NASA flight nurses who I had the pleasure to meet when visiting the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was a great opportunity to meet all those I had been communicating with by phone and email, to cement our good working relationships.
 
I represented OSMU at weekly events such as the astronaut training coordination meetings, where planning and updates on training schedules and upcoming flight assignments would be discussed. Each team involved in preparing an Astronaut for flight was granted a certain number of hours of the astronaut’s time from a packed pre-mission schedule, to complete the necessary training and preparatory requirements. Arduous negotiations were required with other departments and the agency central mission organisation authority, should a team think they needed extra time to complete their activities.
 
As the Flight Nurse I was responsible to lead weekly clinical meetings to update the flight surgeons on any new information and issues relating to an astronaut’s health and the work underpinning their welfare.

​Microgravity is a fascinating topic when it comes to the study of astronaut health. When humans are exposed to microgravity, the effects on their bodies can be quite significant.
One of the first things to understand about microgravity is its effect on the musculoskeletal system. In the absence of gravity, astronauts experience a decrease in muscle mass and bone density. The lack of load-bearing activity in microgravity leads to muscle atrophy and bone loss. This can result in decreased strength and increased risk of fractures once astronauts return to Earth.
Another area of concern in microgravity is cardiovascular health. On Earth, gravity helps to pump blood towards the lower extremities. In microgravity, this effect is greatly reduced, causing fluids and blood to shift towards the upper body. This can lead to a decrease in plasma volume. Astronauts often have to undergo intense exercise regimes during their space missions to counteract these effects.

The immune system is also affected by microgravity. Studies have shown that the immune response of astronauts is suppressed during spaceflight. This can make them more vulnerable to infections and diseases. Researchers are still studying the exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon and are trying to find ways to boost the immune system during space missions.
Microgravity also has an impact on the astronaut's vision. Some astronauts have reported changes in their vision, such as an increase in visual blurring and other visual disturbances. This condition, known as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), is still being studied to understand its underlying causes and potential long-term effects.
In addition to physical health, microgravity can also impact an astronaut's mental well-being. The unique environment of space, with its isolation, confinement, and lack of natural daylight, can lead to psychological challenges such as mood swings, sleep disturbances, and increased stress. NASA and other space agencies provide mental health support and psychological training to help astronauts cope with these challenges.

​To mitigate the negative effects of microgravity on astronaut health, space agencies invest in various countermeasures. These include exercise programs, special diets, and even medications. Additionally, researchers are constantly studying new technologies and strategies to protect and enhance astronaut health during long-duration space missions.
In conclusion, microgravity has significant effects on astronaut health, impacting various systems in the body. The study of these effects is crucial to ensure the well-being and safety of astronauts during space missions. By understanding and addressing these challenges, we can continue to push the boundaries of space exploration while also safeguarding the health of those who venture into the final frontier.