Why is NASA placing members of its astronaut corps through long-duration flight testing when similar experiments have already been done by the former Soviet and current Russian space program?
There are still many questions about the limits of radiation effects, bone loss, muscle strength and conditioning, circadian shifting, neurosensory changes, and many other physiological systems that affect not only humans in space but also on the Earth. As both the U.S. and Russia, as well as the many other countries that are participating in long duration spaceflights, continue the Mir Station program, we learn more about the individual differences (gender, spaceflight experience, age for example) that are associated with a persons physiologic adaptation to spaceflight and re-adaptation to gravity. Perhaps as important are the learning experiences of allowing culturally different but equally isolated team members to work in the space environment together, along with the ground-based teams that support them. In order to extend our stays in space and eventually explore the solar system, we must complete our knowledge of all the intricacies of the physical and psychological effects of li
Related Questions
- Can an employer give in-flight notification of random testing to flight crew members via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), cell phone, in-range calls, etc.?
- Does NASA have Internet chat rooms? Can I go on-line with an astronaut or scientist to talk about my ideas for the space program?
- What will ORCC Summer VISTA Corps Members do?
