Human space missions have shown that human spaceflight is associated with a loss of body protein. Specific changes include a loss of lean body mass, decreased muscle mass in the calves, decreased muscle strength, and changes in plasma proteins and amino acids. The major muscle loss is believed to be associated with the antigravity (postural) muscle. The most significant loss of protein appears to occur during the first month of flight. The etiology is believed to be multifactorial with contributions from disuse atrophy, undernutrition, and a stress type of response. This article reviews the results of American and Russian space missions to investigate this problem in humans, monkeys, and rats. The relationship of the flight results with ground-based models including bedrest for humans and hindlimb unweighting for rats is also discussed. The results suggest that humans adapt to spaceflight much better than either monkeys or rats.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/60.5.806S | DOI Listing |
New Phytol
January 2025
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91011, USA.
A new proliferation of optical instruments that can be attached to towers over or within ecosystems, or 'proximal' remote sensing, enables a comprehensive characterization of terrestrial ecosystem structure, function, and fluxes of energy, water, and carbon. Proximal remote sensing can bridge the gap between individual plants, site-level eddy-covariance fluxes, and airborne and spaceborne remote sensing by providing continuous data at a high-spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we review recent advances in proximal remote sensing for improving our mechanistic understanding of plant and ecosystem processes, model development, and validation of current and upcoming satellite missions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAerosp Med Hum Perform
January 2025
Background: Mission Controllers (MCs) are the main point of contact for space crews and are vital for successful human spaceflight. On a mission to Mars, there will be as long as 22-min one-way communication delays between the ground and the crew, causing major changes to current communication infrastructures.
Methods: This exploratory study assessed the impact of a 20-min one-way communication delay on MCs' task performance, workload, and stress levels under nominal and off-nominal conditions, conducted during a 21-d analog mission.
Introduction: Space agencies will embark on manned journeys to Mars on smaller vehicles than those used previously. In-flight exercise on those flights must abate the adverse effects microgravity (μG) has on humans. Due to space constraints on these vehicles, a single exercise device must address multiple fitness needs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Uncontrolled reentries of space objects create a collision risk with aircraft in flight. While the probability of a strike is low, the consequences could be catastrophic. Moreover, the risk is rising due to increases in both reentries and flights.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAstrobiology
January 2025
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
We review the current state of understanding of Ceres as it relates to planetary protection policy for future landed missions, including for sample return, to the dwarf planet. The Dawn mission found Ceres to be an intriguing target for a mission, with evidence for the presence of regional, possibly extensive liquid at depth, and local expressions of recent and potentially ongoing activity. The Dawn mission also found a high abundance of carbon in the regolith, interpreted as a mix of carbonates and amorphous carbon, as well as locally high concentrations of organic matter.
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