Scientists have developed a thin polymer membrane, or nano-suit, that enhances survival in vacuum. Takahiko Hariyama of the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine in Japan and his colleagues have found that bombarding creatures with electrons causes a thin polymer membrane to form around them, protecting them from the harsh conditions of vacuum. The experiments were conducted on fruit fly larvae. When the larvae were put in a vacuum, [...]
Post Tagged with: “health”
Scared of Cancer? Then Avoid Space Travel, New Study Suggests
There has never been any doubt that space travel is not the leisure of choice for everyone. Despite the fact that some of the world’s richest people do not hesitate to pay incredible amounts of money to get a seat on yet unproven space vehicles, the majority of the population will probably never really cherish the idea of undergoing high [...]
ISU International Symposium on Tele-Reach
Last week saw the 17th annual International Space University Symposium, held at the ISU main campus in Strasbourg, which ran from 5th-7th March. The title of this year’s symposium was “Space Technology and Tele-reach: Benefiting Humanity on Earth and Beyond.” Tele-reach, according to the symposium program’s definition, is a term used to refer to technologies and applications which allow remote [...]
NASA to Investigate Blurred Vision in Space
This spring NASA will start an investigation into a range of vision issues that are suffered by some humans during long-duration space flights. Approximately 20 percent of astronauts serving aboard the International Space Station have reported blurry vision during their expedition length mission. During the post-mission physical rehabilitation back on Earth, the vision problems typically disappear. “This was a process [...]
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope Back in Action after Recovery
NASA’s Kepler space telescope got back into the action, after a 10 day rest, on January 29. Kepler, named in honor of the 17th-century German astronomer Johannes Kepler, was launched on 7 March 2009. The telescope is now 72 million kilometers away from Earth, and has been hunting for planets since its launch. The spacecraft had been equipped with four [...]
Everything You Wanted to Know about Space Tourism but Were Afraid to Ask
For at least the past ten years, space tourism has been the next big thing coming. With all the private human space flight companies announcing, postponing, and re-announcing the dates of the foreseen commencements of their operations, the public might have grown a little bit tired of waiting. One American news website even wrote earlier this month that with XCor [...]
Are You Healthy Enough for Commercial Spaceflight?
None of the private space companies planning to offer commercial human space flight opportunities have started their operations yet, however, discussion has been going on regarding the medical constraints limiting the possibilities of an individual to join either a suborbital or orbital space trip. So far it seems that authorities would prefer less strict medical requirements in order not to [...]
Why Do Astronauts Grow Taller in Space?
Source: NASA Did you ever wish you could be just a teensy bit taller? Well, if you spend a few months in space, you could get your wish — temporarily. It is a commonly known fact that astronauts living aboard the International Space Station grow up to 3 percent taller while living in microgravity. They return to their normal height when back [...]
Study Suggests Enhanced Alzheimer’s Risk for Spacefarers
A study published in PLOS One on December 31 suggests that there may be unforeseen long term effects on spacefarers’ health. Long term exposure to heavily charged Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) could increase the chances of incurring Alzheimers. The study, which was conducted at the University of Rochester and Harvard Medical School with funding from NASA’s Space Radiobiology Research Program, [...]
It’s All about People: NASA Psychiatrist Explains Why Space Itself Is Not Detrimental
Speaking to IO9.com earlier this month, current NASA psychiatrist Gary Beven explained why his job is important for the success of human space flight. Being only the fifth full-time NASA psychiatrist since the commencement of the American space program, Beven recalled that prior to the beginning of space stations and long duration stays in space, the need for psychiatry or [...]
