Picture
Yet another problem with long term Space travel has been highlighted this week, following the release of results for a study by NASA researcher Lakshmi Putcha and her colleagues.

Need a medication here on Earth? No problem – simply visit your local chemists or look in your medicine cabinet at home where simple medications such as pain-killers or antibiotics, if stored correctly, have a shelf life of up to a couple of years and retain most of their potency in that time. However, astronauts in Space it would seem might not be quite so lucky.

Longer duration Space travel, such as to Mars, may require astronauts to spend up to 2 years on board a space craft, and so the need to take greater volumes of medication will be required. Little is currently know in relation to the potential effects that the Space environment can have on these – an environment subject to such factors as microgravity, radiation, flight vibration, as well as variations in temperature and humidity.

Consequently, a study was conducted involving flying four boxes of drugs, each containing 35 medications up to the International Space Station (ISS). In accordance with good scientific practice, four identical boxes were also kept under controlled conditions at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, USA, to act as a control for comparison. The four boxes from the ISS were returned one by one, back to Earth after varying lengths of time, with one box returning after just 13 days and the last box returning after 28 months on the ISS.

The medications were analysed to see how they compared to the control kits and it was found that; less than third of the medications kept in Space met US requirements for levels of active ingredients; the longer the kits were in Space, the fewer the number of formulations that retained acceptable potency levels.

The authors conclude that "It is important to characterize space-specific degradation products and toxicity limits using ground-based analogue environments of space that include proton and heavy ion radiation, vibration and multiple gravity conditions.  This information can facilitate research for the development of space-hardy pharmaceuticals and packaging technologies."

Add Comment
 
 
NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman, currently onboard the International Space Station, teamed up this week with Ian Anderson from vintage British rock group Jethro Tull to perform the first ever Space-Earth duet on the flute, in tribute to the 50th anniversary of the first manned Space flight by Yuri Gagarin.

The realities of trying to synch up the two performances in real time, however, were impossible with astronaut Coleman being on the ISS some 250 miles up in orbit, and Anderson currently touring in Russia. Consequently Coleman recorded her part in the duet “Bouree” a few days prior to Anderson performing his part at a concert in Perm, Russia. The two performances were then spliced together for the tribute video.

Hit the play button and have a listen – it sounds good!

Add Comment
 
 
Picture
 April 12th 2011 will see celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic Space flight of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. 

Born March 9th 1934 and although coming from a humble background, he gained the rank of senior lieutenant in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic’s Air Force. 

However, it was in 1960 that Gagarin's life would change forever when he was one of 20 pilots selected for the Soviet Space program. The selection process consisted of physical and psychological testing, as well as a detailed assessment of performance obtained in training, so life was not easy for the young cosmonaut candidate.

 The long awaited answer to who would be chosen finally came and Gagarin found himself selected to participate in the first manned space mission in history. Besides his good performances in the selection process, other factors counted in his favour such as coming from a simple background with both parents being farmers, an important factor within the Soviet communist system. He had a flamboyant and charismatic personality, and more importantly Gagarin was short, measuring only 1.60m or 5 foot 3 inches tall – a crucial consideration when the spacecraft designed for the mission, Vostok-1, was compact and left little room to accommodate a pilot.

 Vostok-1 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12th 1961, arrived in orbit and completed one lap around planet Earth before reentry, taking a total time of 1 hr 48 minutes. The flight of the space craft was fully automatic and the control panel locked. Gagarin did though have a code key with which to take control of the ship in case of necessity, though this did not turn out to be needed. However, not quite all went as planned with one service module failing to separate from the main sphere as intended, remaining attached by some wires. This caused some wild gyrations of the craft to take place upon reentry to Earth’s atmosphere, before the wires eventually burned through freeing the remaining sphere and allowing a smoother descent.

With just 7km to go before landing, Gagarin ejected from the sphere and landed safely by parachute. This fact was denied by the Soviet Union for many years, for fear of the flight not being recognised by the FAI, the world governing body for air sports. The rules of the day stated that astronaut and craft must come down together and thus the true facts were kept quiet until 1971.

 Fifty years ago today Yuri Gagarin took less than 2 hours to write his name in the history books, forever to be remembered as the first person in Space, and heralded the beginning of a new relationship between mankind and his blue planet. 

Add Comment
 
 
Picture
The dangers presented to astronauts by long term missions into Space have long been known, are numerous, and for the most part remain in the realms of theory and supposition due to a lack of real life situations and physical data.

What can be done by scientists is to create an artificial environment that simulates one or more of the conditions that may be faced by astronauts, and conduct appropriate experiments to evaluate the possible effects on the human physiology.

For example, scientists at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, USA have done exactly this in relation to the possible effects of cosmic radiation on the human heart, details published April 6 2011, in the journal Radiation Research.

Researchers analysed the effect of exposure to iron ion radiation on mice, a radiation commonly occurring in Space, to see if exposure promotes the development of arterial disease (atherosclerosis).

According to Prof. Dennis Kucik, associate professor in the department of pathology, UAB, “It's well known that prolonged exposure to radiation sources here on Earth, including those used in cancer treatment, excessive occupational exposure and atomic bombs, are associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis. But cosmic radiation is very different from X-rays and other radiation found on Earth. The radiation risks of deep-space travel are difficult to predict, largely because so few people have been exposed."

Results from the research found that permanent damage to the aorta and carotid arteries in mice did take place, which suggests that deep Space missions, such as those to Mars, might present health risks for astronauts from radiation that could give rise to heart problems.   

For more details click HERE
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Nasa astronaut Timothy L Kopra
NASA astronaut Timothy Kopra will not now be flying on space shuttle Discovery's last flight (STS-133), should it at last manage to take off on 24th February 2011.  Having taken a tumble while riding his bicycle at the weekend, he is currently recuperating from his injuries, and thus will be replaced by Stephen Bowen, a veteran of two previous launches. Bowen, having flown on the last mission STS-132, will become the first astronaut to fly consecutive missions.

Doubts also linger regarding the command position onboard the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour, due to take place 19th April 2011. Current official man in charge of STS-134 Mark Kelly, remains at the hospital bedside of his wife US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously wounded in the shooting incident in Tucson, Arizona on 8th Jan 2011, in which six people were killed. Back-up commander Rick Sturckow has been put on standby.

Shuttle crew replacement has occasionally occurred over the years, though not usually at such a late stage. To try and prevent preflight injuries NASA has a list of high risk activities that astronauts assigned to flights are not allowed to take part in, such as skiing, parachuting, and motorcycle riding. Riding a bike, however, is not currently on the banned list!

Add Comment
 
 
Picture
It would seem that even the International Space Station (ISS) is not immune to the affects of the current poor financial climate, with the price of food for the cosmonauts sky-rocketing!

According to a Russian spokesman, there has been a near 50 percent increase over the last twelve months in the cost of rations, caused by price inflation on products used in making the rations, and rising costs of required testing and analyses.

"Last year, the cosmonaut's daily ration in space cost about 11,000 rubles (250 euros), and today the cost is reaching 15,000 rubles," said Viktor Dobrovolsky, director of the food institute that supplies space cosmonauts.

The weightless conditions onboard the ISS requires that some thought has to go into the provision of food for the astronauts to eat. Products that cause crumbs, like bread, are excluded as crumbs are light enough to simply float away and scatter throughout the space station, potentially clogging air vents, or contaminating equipment – instead tortillas are used as they have no crumbs, store easily, and of course, can double up as a  frisbee for a bit of fun! For the same reason of float-ability, salt and pepper are provided in liquid form. Food consumed is generally better if it has a moist or sticky consistency, such as porridge, scrambled eggs, or pudding, as this type of food will stay on the spoon or fork.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation system
Some interesting research is being conducted by Dr Steven Moore, associate professor of neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, USA.

His team has been developing a Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation system (GVS) that can safely induce the sensory and mobility disturbances that are often experienced by astronauts when returning to Earth’s gravity.  

The system developed uses large electrodes placed behind the ear to deliver small amounts of electricity (5 milliamp) to the vestibular nerve, which then sends the signal onto the brain and causes motor and sensory disturbances.

The human body is adapted to Earth and its gravitational force, with our brains receiving and interpreting the information sent from sensory organs, such as our eyes and our inner ear vestibular organs. When in the microgravity environment of Space, the pattern of information is changed with the gravity sensitive inner ear no longer functioning as it would on Earth. Many astronauts will suffer from Space Motion Sickness, disorientation and a loss of sense of direction early in the mission, before adapting to their new ‘weightless’ setting within a few days. When returning to Earth’s gravity once more though, they must readjust again and can experience problems standing up, walking and turning, and stabilizing their gaze. These disturbances can affect an astronaut’s vision and neurological functions, potentially affecting operational activities including the ability to safely land a spacecraft.

Thus, the development of a new tool that can safely simulate the vestibular disturbances experienced in Space can prove valuable.

"You can train for spaceflight tasks under normal conditions on Earth, but that will not give you an indication of what an astronaut will feel like," Dr. Moore said. "The GVS system will make mission simulations more realistic. This will be quite useful for astronaut training, especially for astronauts that have not flown before." 

Want to see a video showing the effects of the GVS? Click the link below;

http://www.nsbri.org/default/NSBRI%20News%20Pictures/Moore_Project/Moore_GVS.wmv
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Piers Sellers, NASA
British born astronaut Piers Sellers is planning to take into Space an original piece of Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree when he flies on board the shuttle Atlantis, due to blast-off this Friday, 14th May 2010 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.

The tree fragment, engraved with the scientists name is one of several pieces taken from the original apple tree that still stands at Woolsthorpe Manor, Newton’s former home.  

The popular story goes that in 1666 Newton was sat under his tree when an apple fell and landed on his head and this inspired him to develop his universal law of gravitation. However, it is more likely that he was looking at his apple tree one day from afar and wondered why apples fall downwards to the ground, and why they accelerate from zero. – and thus coming up with the laws of gravity and motion.

Sellers said "While it's up there, it will be experiencing no gravity, so if it had an apple on it, the apple wouldn't fall … Sir Isaac would have loved to see this, assuming he wasn't spacesick, as it would have proved his first law of motion to be correct."

The event is part of the 350th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Society, the UK’s National Academy of Science, of which Newton, who died in 1727, was a former president..
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Planetário, Gávea, Rio de Janeiro
This week sees me back in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro for a few days, combining work meetings with a couple of days holiday over the Easter period.

This amazing and vibrant city will always hold a special place in my heart, not just because I am Brazilian, but because it is the birthplace of both my love of the stars and my desire to go into Space.

Staying in the same flat in Rio where I stayed over 40 years ago as a very young girl, now looking out of the same window up at the same stars - it amazes me how one event can shape a lifetime.

Today is pouring with rain, much as it was all those years ago when my Mother (in an effort to amuse a very bored and grumpy young Thais!) took me to the planetarium at Gávea, Rio de Janeiro. During the 30 minute children's session I was so amazed by the display of stars that I refused to leave, wanting to see more, until my Mother bribed me by saying we could stop at a shop and buy a book on astronomy!

From that moment on the cosmos became an essential part of my life. I learned all about the  universe, saved up for my first telescope, and decided in my childlike mind that one day I would visit the stars. I asked my Mother one day how this could be done and she replied: "You can only travel inside a spaceship if you are an astronaut", and so from that moment on it became my ambition, and shaped my destiny!

There are today over 100 major planetariums worldwide with domes of over 50ft or more, and in addition, hundreds more that are smaller or are mobile. All generally provide children's educational activities. So the next time it is raining where you are, think about locating your nearest planetarium and take your children, or your nephews and nieces, or your grlandchildren. Who knows if that one moment in their younag lives might also inspire them to reach for the stars.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Chinese National Space Agency Logo
An article that appeared at the Guardian online website today brought a smile to my face and confirmed something we women have all known for years.

China is currently choosing it's first female astronauts, picking from the cream of their female jet fighter pilots - ladies in excellent physical condition and with first class flying skills. Interestingly, they are restricting candidates to those who already have children amid concerns about the affect of space flight on their future fertility.

Commenting on this and the selection process, Xu Xianrong, an expert at the Chinese air force general hospital is quoted as saying that women have advantages as astronauts over men because they are. . . . . . more mentally stable, better able to deal with loneliness and have better communication skills!

I have no argument with that!
Add Comment