1. The Space Laboratory
Past Experience and Future Perspectives
Jörn Rittweger
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
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2. STS-9
First SpaceLab Payload (28th Nov to 8th Dec 1983)
Source: ESA/NASA
Source: NASA
Preparing Spacelab 1 at KSC Launch of STS-9
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4. Life Science Experiments on STS-9
PI Experiment Discipline Country Publicatio
n
A Scano Ballistocardiography in Cardio- Italy
weightlessness vascular
Physiology
RJ von Effects of Rectilinear Vestibular Germany Science
Baumgarten Acceleration, Optokinetic and Physiology 225:208-12
Caloric Stimulation on (1984)
Human Vestibular Reactions
and Sensations
O Quadens Eye movements during sleep Neuroscience Belgium Science
225:221-
222 (1984)
A Cogoli Effects of weightlessness on Cell and Switzerland Science
lymphocyte proliferation Molecular 225:228-
Biology 230 (1984)
HE Ross Mass discrimination during Neuroscience United Science
weightlessness Kingdom 225:219-
221 (1984)
KA Kirsch Measurement of central Cardio- Germany Science
venous pressure and vascular 225:218-
hormones in blood serum Physiology 219 (1984)
during weightlessness
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5. Caloric Nystagmus:
a standard test in medicine
• Warm fluid evokes typical sequence of
rapid and slow eye movements
• Explained by density-related fluid flow by
Robert Bárány (Nobel prize in 1915)
• However, caloric nystagmus can also be
elicited in the absence of gravity 3D-ETD
• So, the mechanisms are still unclear…. Clarke & Scherer (1988)
after 100 years of research on Earth!
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6. Salt & blood pressure:
Space Medicine fosters
Medicine on Earth
Excess sodium is Lymphatic vessel
Macrophages are
stored in the skin! formation in response to
salt-sensitive
salty diet
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Machnik et al., Nature Medicine, 15:545-552 (2009) Vortrag > Autor > Dokumentname > Datum
7. MARS500
24h Diastolic Blood Pressure
85
80
75
p (mmHg)
*
70 ‡
‡
65
60
0
BDC ISO-1 ISO-2 ISO-3 R+6 R+13
*: p < 0.05
‡: p < 0.001
Renin, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgens, and sodium excretion can explain 80% of
long-term blood pressure variance during confinement.
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8. Flight experiment SOLO:
SOdium LOad in Microgravity
PI: Petra Frings-Meuthen
Bicarbonate mmol/L
28.5
Hypothesis 28
27.5
Salt Intake 27
26.5 Low NaCl
26
Acidosis High NaCl
25.5
25
24.5
Bone Loss
24
Astro 1 Astro 2
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9. Lessons learnt
Life Science in Space is possible and often fruitful
More experiments, and greater samples are
desirable
Solution: International Space Station
Complicated mechanisms often difficult to unravel
in Space
Solution: Ground based parallel research
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10. :envihab
A new DLR facility for ground-based
parallel research into the human organism
Partners: Space Community+Acad.
Industry
Health Insurers
Hospital Chains
Military
„Green Industry“
Outreach Stakeholders
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Gerzer Passing the Torch 110421 10
12. :enviGeneration – Matrix organisation
Topics
e.g. Eye problems in astronauts
Gender
e.g. Centrifuge Training
e.g. Pharmacological
Countermeasures
Age
Themes
…
Prevention & Rehabilitation
Genetics / omics
Musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, psychological well-being
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13. Thank you for your attention !
:envihab - Current status (functional in 2013)
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