Köln - The Human Side of Space at DLR & ESA

 I recently visited the beautiful German city of Köln (or Cologne). Sitting on both sides of the River Rhine, Köln has always been on my list of favourite cities in the world. Its unique skyline is a blend of quaint, historical architecture and modern, high-rise buildings — making it a European city definitely worth visiting. 

As well as being a cool city, Köln is also home to the headquarters of the German Space Agency or Deutsches zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Astronaut Centre (EAC) -  making it that much cooler if you ask me :)

During my time in Cologne, I visited both DLR HQ and the EAC ESA centre. The last time I came here was during the ESA Space Medicine Workshop in 2011 when I was still a Biology student at the University of Birmingham. It was great to return over 3 years later now that I work in the space industry and to see it with new, more knowledgeable eyes. 

I paid a visit to the StABLE Study at DLR in particular. The study aims to investigate the impact of a changing rotational axis upon brain perfusion and fluid shift to the lower extremities. In essence, it is trying to figure out the extent to which the Short-Arm Human Centrifuge (SAHC) can be used as a potential countermeasure to the negative impacts of space on the human body. 

Ranging from muscle and bone loss to fluid shift, the SAHC is proposed as an ideal countermeasure to these space side-effects thanks to its short radius. Yet, the extent to which it may be so is still unknown. I watched subjects being spun for science at DLR — work that will better enable scientists to understand the effects of this centrifuge on the human body, especially when the central point of rotation is altered.

Next up on my space agency tour of Köln was the EAC. Home to all things astronaut — the ESA centre is in fact led by ESA astronaut Frank de Winne. As a powerhouse of human spaceflight, the EAC is where astronauts are selected, trained and provided with medical care & support for themselves as well as their families both before and during their time in space.

The Neutral Buoyancy Facility at the EAC is used to simulate weightlessness during astronaut training. It is a great way for astronauts to practice spacewalking and although you can still feel the pull of gravity whilst underwater, it is the closest you can get to microgravity on Earth.

 I also pretended to be Commander of the Soyuz spacecraft - the vehicle that carries astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Developed for the Soviet Space Program in the 1960s, it is still in use today!

My friend Antonio Fortunato works in the position of EUROCOM - or European Spacecraft Communicator. Here, he relays information to the International Space Station from the Columbus Flight Control Team in Munich. When I was there, the station was threatened by a piece of debris - a problem that is unfortunately ever increasing. Teams on Earth worked hard to ensure that the space station successfully dodged the debris - using the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to conduct a debris avoidance maneuver - boosting the station to a higher orbit. Science: 1, Real-life Gravity movie: 0 

Another example of the work conducted by people on Earth for life in space is demonstrated by my friend Romain Charles (pictured above). He spent 520 days in crew isolation from 2010-2011 as part of the first simulation of a manned mission to Mars and back. Named Mars 500 - the psychological experiment kept the crew of 6 locked in their spacecraft as they simulated a return trip to the Red Planet. An incredible achievement!

As a key player in European space activities, Germany definitely is the place to be to learn more about human spaceflight. My trip to DLR and the EAC was a unique insight into the process, people and research involved with putting a human in orbit around Earth. The human side of space is very much present in Germany and I believe that such work is not only important, but vital to advancing as a species together - here on Earth and beyond.

Tschüss!

-Nikita

Could A Vegetable Compound Protect Against the Effects of Radiation?

DIM could be used to protect astronauts during space travel (Credits: NASA).

A compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower may be the key to radiation protection, scientists have found.

The compound, called 3’3-diindolymethane or DIM, is under investigation as a cancer preventative agent. Used as a potential medical countermeasure, DIM may be able to prevent or mitigate acute radiation syndrome due to whole body exposure.
Previously studied as a cancer prevention agent, this is the first instance in which DIM has been considered as a radiation protector.

One of the study’s author Dr. Eliot Rosen of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in the US describes why this new development holds great intrigue and significance: “I find it fascinating that a known cancer preventive agent (DIM) has powerful radiation protection properties and wonder if there is a relationship in the case of DIM between its radioprotection and cancer prevention mechanisms.”

The early stage laboratory study administered DIM to rodents in a multidose schedule in order to identify whether DIM could protect against the effects of exposure to radiation.

Results from the experiment demonstrated that the compound protected the animals against lethal doses of body irradiation up to 13 Gy. This was the case whether DIM dosing was initiated before or up to 24 hours after radiation exposure. The irradiated rodents injected with DIM survived longer than those left untreated.

This suggests that DIM may be useful in protecting against the effects of radiation. Rosen commented “DIM could potentially be used to protect normal (non-tumor) tissues against radiation therapy treatments for cancer.”

The compound functions uniquely from other radioprotectors and mitigators. ”DIM works in part by amplifying the normal DNA damage response that occurs when cells and tissues are irradiated. DIM also acts to prevent radiation-caused apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death. The first mechanism is novel among radiation protectors, though other protectants might also act to block apoptosis.”

DIM could protect normal tissues in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer (Credits: CTCA).

The experimental evidence collected thus far supports DIM as a potential radioprotector and mitigator. In terms of the direction of future research, Rosen added: “We will work toward FDA approval of DIM as a radioprotectant and mitigator. This is a complex process that will involve determining the best way to deliver DIM (e.g. oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular) and other animal testing studies.”

It is uncertain whether an outcome similar to the irradiated rodents treated with DIM is possible in humans. However if so, the potential applications for DIM may venture into orbit as a radioprotector for astronauts exposed to the harsh environmentof space.

“Although speculative at this time, DIM could be used to protect against radiation received by astronauts during space travel (eg., cosmic radiation). One has to be careful because there are different types of radiation, and we don’t yet know whether DIM protects against all forms of radiation.”

With the duration of time that astronauts spend in space set to increase with future Mars and asteroid missions, DIM may provide a method of radiation protection that is sustainable and that can be grown in-situ due to its vegetable origins.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Image credits: Charles Smith

Written for Space Safety Magazine by Nikita Marwaha

Chronicles From Concordia

Today, my friend and International Space University classmate Adrianos Golemis is embarking on a year-long Antarctic adventure. 
Braving harsh temperatures as low as -80˚C, Adrianos will reside alongside 13 others in Concordia Station, Antarctica. Established in 2005, Concordia is a remote research base located 3200m above sea-level. It shares a great deal of characteristics with a long-duration space mission, isolation and confinement to name just a few. The station is inaccessible for 9 months during the winter and due to extreme frost and icy winds, the crew are unable to venture further than 1 km around the base with precaution. Shrouded in a blanket of darkness for many months, Concordia Station is a challenging place to live for a month, let alone a year. 

However, the unique conditions found in Antarctica are a valuable tool for humanity to explore the limits of the human body and mind when faced with such environmental extremes and as a result, an excellent analogue platform for research into space medicine.  Analogous to human settlers onto a planet once humanity has advanced to space colonisation, Concordia Station requires total autonomy during the winter, as will a human base on another planet.

Adrianos will therefore pretty much experience a year in the life of an astronaut living on a planet other than Earth. Pretty amazing way to spend a year if you ask me.
 Adrianos, who originates from Greece will join the crew as the European Space Agency sponsored Medical Doctor. There, he will conduct physiological and psychological research during his time at the station and has written his first blog entry, Chronicles from Concordia on the ESA site here.

"This year the lucky one to go is me. “Lucky” might sound a bit funny to your ears if you consider that we are about to travel to the infinite white desolation that is Dome Circe. But there are great returns to be discovered in such a journey, and after giving it much thought, I yearn to go."

Good Luck Adrianos!  Say hi to the penguins from me :)

Follow Adrianos on his journey at the Concordia Base Log here and on Twitter here

-Nikita

In Focus: Why Spaceflight is Becoming Blurrier Over Time

Scientists have long known that extended spaceflight leads to changes in the human body such as muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. Increasing evidence has now been collected that suggests why astronauts may be experiencing visual problems as a result of spaceflight conditions.

Russian biological experiment Bion-M1 revealed further insight into the issue of astronaut eyesight deterioration in space. Launched into space on April 19th, Russia’s first biological research satellite since 2007 carried into orbit a 2,450 kg space zoo before returning to Earth 30 days later.

The extended length of the mission allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of the effects that long-term spaceflight exposure has on living organisms. With 45 mice, 8 Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos, slugs, snails, and containers of microorganisms and plants on board, Bion-M1 orbited the Earth on a 30-day mission. The flight unfortunately proved fatal for all gerbils and 29 mice, however a key insight into the mechanisms behind the orbital visual problems was gained.

Deputy Director of Russia’s Institute of Medical and Biological Studies Vladimir Sychev explained:

We used to think that in zero-gravity, fluid travelled upward and that the quality of blood improved, but it turns out that it is the other way around. The arteries of the brain come under duress and their capacity is reduced by 40 percent.

The institute also gathered valuable data on the influence of space travel on the spinal cord, inner ear, and processes at the genetic level.

Orhtostatic intolerance is one reason astronauts are always seen seated after returning from an ISS mission. Seen here: Christopher Cassidy, Pavel Vinogradov, and Alexander Misurkin (Credits: NASA).

Bion-M1 revealed that the capacity of the cerebral arteries decreases vastly in space, a symptom of orthostatic intolerance. Triggered by a disruption in blood flow, orthostatic intolerance is common in astronauts upon returning to Earth and readjusting to gravity.

Speaking to Space Safety Magazine, retired NASA food scientist Charles Bourland provides an insight into the link between space food research, orthostatic intolerance, and astronaut vision:

There’s a procedure to reduce the sodium [in space food] because there was some evidence that high sodium might contribute to vision problems that they’ve had on some of the missions.

A recent study into the role of nutritional research in the success of human space flight has noted that prepackaged foods for the International Space Station were originally high in sodium at 5300 mg/d. This amount has now been substantially reduced to 3000 mg/g as a result of NASA reformulation of over ninety foods as a conscious effort to reduce astronaut sodium intake.

Bourland also stated that salt tablets are used as a method of counter-acting the reduction in arterial capacity before reentry:

They have a test called orthostatic tolerance… it basically says ‘can you stand up?’ and a lot of [the astronauts] were failing that, they couldn’t even stand up, and it was because they had low blood fluid levels. So they found out if they give them salt tablets or salt solution just before they come home, it improves their ability to stand up. If you take sodium you retain more fluids and build up your fluid volume.

The subject of astronaut visual quality has been investigated previously. Research from 2012 in the journal Radiology analyzed MRI scans of astronauts returning from at least one month in space and confirmed that fluid shift also contributes to visual disruption as a result of intracranial pressure.

ISS Commander Leroy Chiao performs an ultrasound scan on the eye of Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov during ISS Expedition 10 (Credits: NASA).

Mercury astronaut John Glenn carried a pair of ‘space anticipation glasses’ on board his capsule in order to improve his visual acuity. As well as this, a NASA survey of 300 male and female astronauts found that 49 percent of long-flight and 23 percent of short-flight astronauts had experienced problems with both near and distance vision. In some cases these visual problems persisted for years after their time in space.

Currently, astronauts can live aboard the International Space Station for more than six months at a time. However, a mission to Mars may take years. Without dedicated further research into eye and vision abnormalities in space, there is a chance of astronauts developing serious vision damage or even blindness. Such research is therefore vital to ensure that humans become capable of travelling on longer-duration, interplanetary missions whilst maintaining their health.

Image caption: Research into astronaut eyesight deterioration is vital to the progression of human spaceflight (Credits: NASA).











Written for Space Safety Magazine by Nikita Marwaha