Daily Archives: March 29, 2020

Space anemiaposes a significant risk to deconditioning, and should be considered as spacetourism becomes more popular and available, according to a paper published inthe American Journal of Hematology.1

Space travelrelated anemia has been a concern for the past 60 years, though conflicting data have prevented researchers from determining, with certainty, that being in space can directly lead to the condition. Researchers determined that evaluating hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and red blood cell (RBC) mass within 7 days of returning to Earth from space would, however, be sufficient for determining any link.

For this study,the authors evaluated data recorded in the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministrations Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centers system, which containsrecords for all astronauts since the programs inception, to determine anycausal relationship between space travel and changes in Hb concentrations.

Two datasetswere included, the first of which contained records from 711 mission-astronautswith 1962 Hb measurements and 721 mission-astronauts with 17,336 Hbmeasurements. All data were compared with those from control records taken atthe time of each mission.

Forty-eightpercent of astronauts were anemic when they returned to Earth after spacetravel. Longer trips to space also appeared to require more recovery time afterthe journey than did shorter trips, with Hb levels returning to normal after 49days for trips of 11.5 to 145 days vs 24 days for trips of a mean of 5.4 days.

Astronauts whosetrips lasted 5.4 days, 11.5 days, and 145 days had Hb decrements of -0.61 g/dL(4%), -0.82 g/dL (5%), and -1.66 g/dL (11%), respectively.

Wecharacterized space anemia, its dose-response relationship with exposure to spaceas well as longitudinal effects, the authors wrote. Whether acute spaceanemia will turn into chronic anemia depends critically on the duration ofexposure to space.

Reference

Trudel G, Shafer J, Laneuville O, Ramsay T. Characterizing the effect of exposure to microgravity on anemia: more space is worse. Am J Hematol. 2020;95(3):267-273.

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Anemia in Space: Implications for Space Travel and Tourism - Hematology Advisor

ELY A local astronomers group is celebrating the major yet unheralded roles played by Iowas three state universities in the history of astronomy and space travel in connection with the Apollo 13 50-year anniversary.

During the Apollo 13 mission, which was April 11 to 17, 1970, an explosion on board the spacecraft left the fate of three astronauts unknown for seven days as people around the world feared they may never make it back to earth.

Historian David V. Wendell, curator of an exhibit called Our Finest Hours: Apollo XIII and Iowas Universities in Space Exploration, had planned an event with panel discussion on the date of the launch April 11 at the astronomical research complex operated by the Cedar Amateur Astronomers, 1365 Ivanhoe Road, in rural Ely. The COVID-19 crisis has put the event in doubt, as some of his planned speakers backed out.

Wendell still hoped to pay tribute to Iowas space travel efforts in conjunction with the anniversary.

Perhaps the virus, therefore, gives us a deeper insight into the psyche of what it was like to be on that fateful flight not knowing if one would survive or not, Wendell said. Just as today, on Earth, we wonder in the back of our mind if we will make it safely through a daunting ordeal, they, too, faced this dilemma of uncertainty, but came through successfully.

Wendell highlighted the contributions of three scholars:

Gurnett, professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Iowa, was a protege of James Van Allen, the UI professor who designed and built the experimental equipment aboard Explorer 1, Americas first man-made satellite to circle the Earth. Gurnett went on to assist and engineer experiments on board Injun 1, Americas first satellite designed by a college, and to create the instruments aboard the Voyager Spacecraft, the first man-made object to fly out of the solar system and into interstellar space.

The event also was to celebrate Gurnetts 80th birthday on April 11.

Willson, professor emeritus of astronomy at Iowa State University, has been one of the nations leading experts in variable star research in this century and the latter half of the last. Variable stars are those that vary in intensity. She has used the worlds most advanced telescopes, including Hubble, to identify planets in orbit around stars far distant from our solar system.

Morgan, chairwoman of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Northern Iowa, is recognized as one of the states leading authorities on stellar pulsation in an effort to understand how stars evolve and its implication for the future of our planet, as well as others like it in the universe.

Comments: (319) 398-8310; brian.morelli@thegazette.com

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Astronomers group celebrates Iowa's 'unheralded' contributions to space travel for Apollo 13 50-year anniversary - The Gazette

Will Whitehorn argued there are massive commercial opportunities to Britain becoming a real spacefaring nation. The UK Space Agency, a Government body, wants Britain to hold 10 percent of the global space economy by 2030.

Funding has already been provided to establish Spaceport Cornwall, which plans to launch satellites into space via Richard Bransons Virgin Orbit, with proposals from two Scottish sites also being considered.

According to Mr Whitehorn Virgin Galactic, which plans to take humans into space, could also operate from the site.

Speaking to Express.co.uk he said: We should be taking people into space from Britain. I dont see why Spaceport Cornwall cant, as well as carrying satellites with Virgin Orbit, host Virgin Galactic.

Its going to be commercial by the end of this year or early next year. I have a ticket for a flight, well maybe my ticket could be from Cornwall. Im thinking within two years.

I think we need to move quite quickly on this kind of stuff. We need to get everything up and running as fast as we can.

We can do launch here. It was difficult to do launch with old style rocketry. But for instance Virgin Orbit, which has the 747 with the air launched satellite launching vehicle, that can come to Cornwall and launch satellites anywhere out over the Atlantic very safely and we build the right sort of satellites for that.

Not only that in Scotland there are a couple of sites which are almost fighting to see whos going to be the one to be basically the vertical launch site.

We could have real launch capability and that matters for reasons of commerciality, the industrialisation of space and also for national security.

Mr Whitehorn was formerly president of Virgin Galactic and is chair of Clyde Space, a UK based commercial space company.

READ MORE:NASA astronaut about to escape coronavirus for ISS: 'Good luck'

The Government is currently working on the UKs Defence Space Strategy, the release of which has been repeatedly postponed.

According to Mr Whitehorn the UK space industry is significantly bigger than much of the public realises.

He claimed: We need to industrialise space and Britain is in a position to be part of that story in a major way. We are, without any doubt now, one of the countries with the most developed industries to build satellites.

Were building something like 35-40% of the worlds commercial satellites here in the UK.

Our universities with their commercial arms build most of the best instruments used on the missions people get excited about going to Mars or going to the Moon. Now you add to that the expertise Britain has been building up in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

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Last year the UK announced it would increase its funding of the European Space Agency, a coalition of 22 nations, by over 15 percent.

In a blog published in June 2019, shortly before he took up a position advising Boris Johnson in Downing Street, Dominic Cummings suggested Britain could work with Amazon boss Jeff Bezos to establish a manned base on the Moon.

Asked about the Governments target for Britain to hold 10 percent of the global space market by 2030 Mr Whitehorn was optimistic.

He stated: I think it is ambitious but its achievable.

It wouldnt have been achievable in a world where we could only produce the hardware but we in this country are now capable of doing things like the robotics.

I believe we will have server farms in space that displace the ones you now see on the ground and they will be built in space by robots where the artificial intelligence and the thinking behind how they work comes from this country.

I also believe we are going to be able to launch a lot of these smaller type satellites from the UK. We couldnt do that in the past.

Then we can create a viable space economy which can also help maintain Britains national security because if youre not in space youre not going to have any security in the future.

Mr Whitehorn noted renewed space travel could have a radical impact on human society within a few decades.

He explained: I can imagine in 20 or 30 years time a small group of scientists going from Oxford University in their hover flivver down to Cornwall and getting onboard a Virgin Galactic spaceship with their new experimental molecule that they think can cure viruses, but they need five minutes of weightlessness to combine it.

Then they get back onboard and theyre back at Oxford that night and have done it. Thats the kind of world we want to create.

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Manned spaceflight from Britain could begin in just two years claims UKSpace chief - Express.co.uk

Inan effort to mitigate damage from COVID-19 here on Earth, people worldwide are practicing social distancing, attempting to limit the spread of the disease. However, space is extremely tight on space stations, and the first lunar and Martian colonies are also likely to house occupants in close quarters. Disease in space has been affecting astronauts for decades. So, how will we respond to epidemics in space when they inevitably occur.

Since the dawn of the human exploration of space, illnesses and medical emergencies have stricken space travelers. The first missions to space took just a single occupant beyond the bounds of Earth. The number of people traveling on each mission went up to two, then three. Now, four to seven crew members typically take part in each flight, and the International Space Station (ISS) is usually home to six occupants. Lunar and Martian colonies would house hundreds to thousands of people.

Living in space also changes the way bodies react, and alter health under the best circumstances. For this reason, NASA and other space agencies study the effects of space on the human body. Not only will these studies helpprotect those living in space, but lessons learned from these studies could help protect populations here on Earth.

Factors like radiation, microgravity, stress, and altered sleep cycles could all affect astronaut immune systems Understanding these immune system changes may help scientists pinpoint the onset of illness, and suggest monitoring strategies, or treatments, that can boost the immune system and prevent full-blown infections and diseases here on Earth,NASA officials report.

The human immune system reacts differently in the microgravity environment of space than it does here on Earth, studies find. The immune system is disrupted, altering the way bodies react to infections.

The immune system is very complex, and several aspects of immunity remain uninvestigated during spaceflight. We now need to delve deeper into the immune system changes that happen in space, and also determine if immune changes during flight elevate clinical risks for astronauts in future deep-space missions. All the factors that change immunity on the ISS will be worse on longer missions to an asteroid or to Mars, Dr. Brian Crucian of NASAs Johnson Space Center (JSC) states.

During the Apollo 7 flight in 1968 (the first Apollo mission to carry astronauts), the crew all came down with colds, altering mission plans. NASA officials believe commander Wally Schirra likely had a mild cold when boarding the spacecraft, before spreading the illness to his crew mates. Due to their illnesses, the crew refused to wear helmets during reentry into the Earths atmosphere.

Surprisingly, the crews of the next twoApollo missionsalso developed colds during their flights. Following these experiences, NASA developed quarantine procedures, limiting human exposure to astronauts prior to their flights.

Since the early days of space travel, advances in communication have made it possible to treat a wider variety of ailments in space, using knowledge and resources on Earth.

NASA was even once able to treat anastronautwho developed a blood clot while visiting the ISS. At the time, the space traveler (whose name is protected for privacy concerns) was two months into a six-month mission when the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was discovered during a routine test on how space affects the flow of body fluids.

Dr. Stephan Moll, a blood clot expert at the UNC School of Medicine, was called in to help treat the astronaut by teleconferencing.

My first reaction when NASA reached out to me was to ask if I could visit the International Space Station (ISS) to examine the patient myself. NASA told me they couldnt get me up to space quickly enough, so I proceeded with the evaluation and treatment process from here in Chapel Hill,Moll recalls. The NASA video below shows how Dr. Stephan Moll treated a blood clot on the international space station while remaining firmly on terra firma.

Treatment for this condition often involves putting the patient on blood thinners, slowing the growth of the clot, potentially reducing damage caused if the clot breaks free, and travels to another part of the body. However, the ISS is only equipped with a limited supply of medicines, but some Enoxaparin was available, which the astronaut used for 40 days until a supply ship delivered another drug, Apixaban, to the space station crew.

During the course of treatment lasting more than 90 days, the spaceborne patient took regular ultrasounds of their neck, following guidance from a radiology team on Earth. Following a safe landing on Earth, no additional treatments were required for the once-ailing astronaut.

Influenza and microbes like coronavirus could quickly work their way through a crew isolated together in the depths of space.

The absence of gravity precludes particles settling down, so they stay suspended in the air, and could be more easily transmitted. To prevent this, compartments are ventilated and the air HEPA filters would remove particles,Jonathan Clark, a former six-time crew surgeon for NASAs Space Shuttle program, stated.

A 2012 study examining health records of 742 astronauts who flew on 106 flights revealed 29 cases of disease transmission, including fungal, urinary tract, and skin infections, as well as the flu.

For reasons scientists have not quite figured out, the immune system can go on the fritz in space: wounds heal more slowly; infection-fighting T-cells send signals less efficiently; bone marrow replenishes itself less effectively; killer cells another key immune system player fight less energetically. At the same time, the pathogens grow stronger, developing thicker cell walls, greater resistance to antimicrobial agents and a greater ability to form so-called biofilms that cling to surfaces, Jeffrey Kluger reported inTime Magazine.

Physical changes caused by radiation may present problems keeping astronauts and space colonists healthy. Another challenge for space travelers is that dormant viruses, like herpes simplex, can reawaken during space travel.

Visitors have spent a year or more aboard the International Space Station. Colonists on the Moon orMarswould stay even longer, increasing health issues including sleep deprivation, even without an epidemic. Without proper sleep, and suffering from high stress levels, space travelers could be even more susceptible to infections their bodies may have fought off at home.

The types of problems you may encounter are a decline in mood, cognition, morale, or interpersonal interaction. You could also develop a sleep disorder because your circadian rhythm might be thrown off due to the 38 extra minutes each day on Mars, or by a small, noisy environment, or the stress of prolonged isolation and confinement, NASAsHuman Research Programsuggests. The video below shows alook at how the human immune reacts to the strange conditions of space.

Astronauts aboard the ISS are regularly tested to ensure once-dormant viruses are not re-activating. Bacteria taken from body swabs of astronauts are regularly examined, revealing populations of bacteria and viruses onboard the space station. Air circulating though the orbiting outpost is safe from both biological and chemical contaminants.

Just as on Earth, isolation and containment of those potentially infected by a disease. The International Space Station is equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and containment masks are available for infected residents of the ISS. Following any sort of infection, space travelers could be quarantined after returning to Earth, as they were in the early days of human space travel.

Future colonies on the Moon orMarswill, almost certainly, have similar facilities for lessening the reach of outbreaks like the one currently engulfing our planet.

Answers to the challenges of epidemics on Earth much less onlunar or Martian colonies remains unanswered. And, viruses are more likely to spread, and be harder to treat, in space than they are on Earth.

But, many of the same treatments and procedures that we employ on Earth to limit the spread of disease and to flatten the curve of infections would also likely play significant roles in protecting colonists exploring theSolar System.

As we expandout into the solar system, epidemics are bound to follow us. But, even today, we are already protecting the explorers who are pioneering our quest to reach beyond the confines of our planet.

This article was originally published onThe Cosmic Companionby James Maynard, an astronomy journalist, fan of coffee, sci-fi, movies, and creativity. Maynard has been writing about space since he was 10, but hes still not Carl Sagan. The Cosmic Companionsmailing list/podcast. You can read this original piecehere.

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What will we do when diseases reach space? - The Next Web

During the global pandemic, cities around the world are recognizing it makes sense to take road space that is usually used for moving and storing cars and instead give it to people. Theyre reallocating the right-of-way from travel lanes and parking to create emergency bikeways for essential workers, and open space where residents can safely walk, bike, and exercise, with sufficient room for social distancing.

Dr. Tabitha Combs, a transportation researcher at the University of North Carolina, and Mike Lydon, founder of transportation design firm Street Plans, have started a crowdsourced database of what cities are doing to create safer, people-friendly streets during the shelter at home era.

View Coms and Lydons database here.

So far, Chicago has taken the opposite approach. Last week Mayor Lori Lightfoot closed the citys most important routes for car-free transportation and recreation, the Lakefront Trail and The 606 elevated greenway. It was an understandable emergency response to dangerously crowded conditions on the paths and the failure of some residents to practice social distancing. But hopefully a compromise can be reached to allow residents to use these facilities for essential trips. In the meantime, Streetsblogs Low-Stress Lakefront Pandemic Cycling Route offers an on-street alternative to the shoreline path.

Meanwhile Mexico City, Bogot, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis have prohibited cars on certain streets. Berlin has created new temporary bike lanes.

Privately-owned bike-share companies in Mexico City and Bogot are offering free rides to healthcare workers during the pandemic. (These companies supplement the cities publicly-owned bike-share systems). Divvy, Chicagos publicly-owned bike-share network, is also offering free rides to healthcare workers, plus $1 rides and $49 annual memberships to everyone else.

The database also notes that five cities have removed beg buttons from intersections, which pedestrians are normally required to press to request a walk signal. This can result in people crowding on sidewalks waiting for a walk signal, which creates a risk of viral transmission. Thankfully, beg buttons arent common in Chicago. The Chicago Pedestrian Plan of 2012 (see page 40) called for removing nearly all of them, but some still remain.

Back to the Lakefront Trail issue. Although Chicagos non-essential workplaces have been closed during the pandemic, there are still Chicagoans who need to commute for essential jobs and errands. But because there are so few people driving at this time, the streets are relatively empty, which encourages dangerous speeding.

Reopening the Lakefront Trail for essential commutes would help keep workers safe from traffic crashes. And opening some streets in various parts of the city for car-free transportation and recreation is a very practical idea. Our city hosts hundreds of street festivals, races, and other special events that involve temporarily pedestrianizing streets, so this isnt rocket science.

Shortly before I wrote this post, I biked to the grocery store. The other shoppers were careful to give me the prescribed 6 of space at the store. But on my way home, not a single driver provided me with the three feet of clearance thats required by Illinois law.

If you hear of a city doing something innovative with their streets to improve safety during the pandemic, add it to the shared spreadsheet or email me. Hat tip Daniel Ronan.

Here are some tips on preventing the spread of coronavirus, and advice for Chicagoans on what to do if you think you may have been exposed to the virus.

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Database documents cities that are repurposing car space during the pandemic - Streetsblog Chicago

Conferences and events have historically presented excellent opportunities for businesses of all kinds to get out and network and learn from industry experts. They enable collaboration across topics of all kinds; from branding and lead generation to industry education. During an unprecedented pandemic like what the world is currently experiencing, we need to look to new ways to approach these events that enable the same kind of innovation and relationship building while being mindful of everyones health and wellbeing.

The costs often associated with both planning and attending industry events can be staggering. They often take a year or more to line up. For businesses, it can really add up between buying booth space, travel expenses for teams, and developing the collateral to present. Its often one of the largest line items in a marketing budget. As marketers get more and more pressure to keep costs under control and show ROI, event participation has come under more scrutiny.

There have been many attempts to do more digitally by offering videos and virtual events such as webinars. But these tend to be one-off experiences that dont provide all the social and collaboration benefits of in-person events. Until recently, this social element has been very hard to replicate digitally.

Augmented and virtual reality have the potential to bring valuable change to this industry by delivering highly immersive, collaborative digital experiences with all the social benefits of events. These technologies are able to gather detailed data that can be used to personalize event content and participation for each company or each participant segment. Like many new technologies, AR and VR went through an early phase when the cost and complexity of implementing solutions for use cases such as events were prohibitive. It often required significant development budgets and large ongoing maintenance costs just to produce one application that wasnt always scalable. However, todays fully productized immersive solutions offer highly accurate and precise AR technology plus administrative tools and flexible business models that make it easier to implement, manage and scale.

With the right combination of VR and AR software, any event venue can be transformed into an intelligent digital environment and once digitized, can provide event marketers with the ability to inject an ongoing stream of new content and immersive experiences. Not only are AR events immersive, but they can also be much more efficient to produce & manage. Once a venue is digitized, content can be injected into the space remotely, access can be managed via an administrative tool remotely, and administrators gain detailed data analytics that can serve to improve content, customize experiences and create event efficiencies.

Another huge benefit of digitizing a physical venue with AR and VR is that it creates new digital real estate. This new digital space offers many opportunities for new monetization models, which can be particularly helpful for industries whose revenue streams have taken hits in the current economic environment. This could include new digital advertising and an endless possibility of promotions that combine the digital and physical world. The detailed stream of data that is gathered from AI/AR applications combined with these new digital spaces gives event marketers a high level of control over these new monetization opportunities. As AR evolves and the physical and digital continue to merge, event marketers can reap the benefits of these new revenue streams that may one day exceed the physical ad and promotion revenue.

The COVID-19 crisis is setting the stage for a new era of events and conferences as businesses look for alternative options to travel. We are at the point in development that business ready AI/AR platforms exist and can offer real value for event marketers that want to offer highly immersive digitized experiences and gain access to detailed analytics to create efficiencies and personalize content.

To garner the full benefits of AR, event marketers should seek fully productized software platforms that leverage existing hardware, offer flexible business models, and provide the ability to automatically scale to multiple events and locations. As AR continues to proliferate, event marketers may find that its a cost-efficient way to offer new experiences that complement their physical events and conferences. Businesses may find that AR events are a more cost-effective option that provides a higher ROI, while still offering all the collaborative and learning benefits.

Related: Will iOS 14 Lessen AR Friction?

The article Can Immersive Tech Save Industry Events? by Emil Alon first appeared on AR Insider.

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Can Immersive Tech Save Industry Events? - Grit Daily