Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2024 - As the aerospace community expands beyond governmental boundaries, NASA is leveraging its comprehensive human spaceflight experience to guide the development of new commercial space stations. By working with private partners, NASA aims to make space more accessible, ensuring that the cumulative know-how of over a quarter-century at the International Space Station translates into safer future missions for a wider range of participants. Dr. Rahul Suresh, a medical officer at NASA's Johnson Space Center, highlighted the lack of established industry standards a ..read more

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 05, 2024 - In a pioneering effort to understand the effects of weightlessness on astronauts' cardiovascular systems, a 3D-bioprinted model blood vessel has been developed. This innovation is poised to shed light on the significant changes experienced by astronauts' cardiovascular systems in the absence of gravity, including altered blood flow, increased blood clot risks, and heart shape modifications towards a more spherical form. Benedetto Caracci, a biomedical engineering student from the University of Pavia and intern at ESA's ESTEC technical center, spearheads this ..read more

San Francisco (AFP) Mar 21, 2024 - Neuralink on Wednesday streamed a video of its first human patient playing computer chess with his mind and talking about the brain implant making that possible. Noland Arbaugh, 29, who was left paralyzed from the shoulders down by a diving accident eight years ago, told of playing chess and the videogame "Civilization" as well as taking Japanese and French lessons by controlling a computer screen cursor with his brain. "It's crazy, it really is. It's so cool," said Arbaugh, who joked of having telepathy thanks to Elon Musk's Neuralink startup. Musk's neurot ..read more

Washington (AFP) Mar 24, 2024 - Experiments in the weightless environment of space have led to "crazy progress" in the fight against cancer, NASA officials said at a recent event highlighting an important and personal initiative of US President Joe Biden. Space is "a unique place for research," astronaut Frank Rubio said at the event in Washington. The 48-year-old, a physician and former military helicopter pilot, conducted cancer research during his recent mission to the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting some 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the Earth's surface. Not only do cells t ..read more

Southampton UK (SPX) Mar 21, 2024 - For the first time, astronauts can monitor their muscle health during space missions thanks to a new handheld device, revealing the muscle groups most vulnerable in low-gravity environments. A collaborative effort involving the University of Southampton and spearheaded by Charite University in Berlin enabled a team of researchers to observe the muscle condition of twelve astronauts before, during, and after their tenure on the International Space Station (ISS). Published in Nature Scientific Reports, the study findings underscore the astronauts' exercise re ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 26, 2024 - A study by York University reveals astronauts' remarkable skill in orienting themselves and estimating distances in the absence of gravity. The research, a collaborative effort with the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, suggests significant implications for astronaut safety in space. It could also offer insights into how aging impacts human balance systems on Earth, according to Faculty of Health Professor Laurence Harris, the study's lead. "Removing gravity from the equation offers a unique perspective on its influence on perceptual skills," says Harris, a v ..read more

Sheffield UK (SPX) Mar 19, 2024 - Scientists from the University of Sheffield and the University of South Australia have introduced a groundbreaking treatment for chronic wounds, utilizing ionized gas to enhance hydrogel dressings without relying on antibiotics. This innovation promises a significant stride forward in the fight against antibiotic-resistant infections and could revolutionize the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and internal wounds. The novel approach employs plasma to activate hydrogel dressings-widely used in wound care-with a special mix of chemical oxidants, effectively de ..read more

London, UK (SPX) Mar 20, 2024 - A study by the University of Surrey has revealed that simulated microgravity conditions, akin to those experienced by astronauts, cause disruptions in the natural rhythms of gene expression in humans. This simulation was achieved through 60 days of bed rest, providing insights into the molecular changes that occur in space. The study underscores the effects of microgravity on human physiology, which includes immune system weakening, inflammation escalation, and the decline of muscle mass and bone density. These findings are critical as human spaceflight becomes ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2024 - A recent study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology on March 13, 2024, has revealed that astronauts may experience headaches, including migraines and tension-type headaches, during prolonged space missions, even if they have no prior history of these conditions. The research underscores the impact of space travel on the human body, particularly in environments of zero gravity. The investigation, led by W. P. J. van Oosterhout, MD, PhD, from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, s ..read more

San Francisco CA (SPX) Mar 12, 2024 - Within the next few decades, NASA aims to land humans on the Moon, set up a lunar colony and use the lessons learned to send people to Mars as part of its Artemis program. While researchers know that space travel can stress space crew members both physically and mentally and test their ability to work together in close quarters, missions to Mars will amplify these challenges. Mars is far away - millions of miles from Earth - and a mission to the red planet will take two to two and a half years, between travel time and the Mars surface exploration itself ..read more