Category Archives: Transhuman News

The vibration table in Harwell can replicate the launch profile of specific rockets (Credit: Satellite Applications Catapult)

Sellafield power station in Cumbria is one of the UKs most hazardous environments, full of nuclear waste and irradiated buildings not the most promising place for high-tech R&D. But that is where an off-the-shelf industrial robot found itself during historical tests, swapping materials handling duties in a factory for a stay in a highly reactive area.

The tests might have indicated that parts could be useful in space, manipulating satellites or assembling structures in orbit. Instead, the severe radiation caused components to fail within six months, showing they were insufficiently hardened for the harsh environment. Rather than shooting for the stars, the robot found itself unceremoniously abandoned in one of the power plants cooling pools.

Today, robotics and satellite testing are more sophisticated and much more important, as the number of satellites being launched rises dramatically and they play an increasingly central role in communications, climate-change studies, logistics and more. According to the United Nations, humanity launched 2,163 objects into space in 2022, up from 134 in 2012. That rise, driven largely by SpaceX Starlink satellites, is also increasing the risk of space debris, which will require some advanced solutions.

The Satellite Applications Catapult is putting satellites to the test to ensure that they can tackle the problems of the future. To do so, it is creating some of the least hospitable conditions on Earth.

Most electronic devices would not survive in orbit without protection from the atmosphere, satellites face extreme radiation and temperatures from roughly -150C to 200C. Materials act differently, while specks of debris and micrometeorites can cause catastrophic damage. Even before they reach their destination, devices must survive the traumatic shaking of a rocket launch.

Pre-flight testing and validation, carried out at the Catapults Disruptive Innovation Space Capability (Disc)facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire, needs to consider all of those risks. The 1,150m2 centre provides lab space and engineering expertise to developers, mainly organisations launching one or two satellites a year but without their own testing facilities.

Hidden beneath a face mask, hairnet and gloves to prevent any potential contamination, Disc operations manager Shane OLeary sits in front of a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) in one of the centres clean rooms. Inside the 1.8m-long metal cylinder, cubesats are put through intense temperature differences and vacuum air pressure of about one-ten-billionth of the normal atmosphere.

Combined, the two factors can have a great effect on a satellite in space. You want to replicate everything that it is going to experience as much as you can, says OLeary. The last thing you want to do is make a mistake and have a million-pound satellite up there that doesnt work.

A Catapult worker in the clean room (Credit: Satellite Applications Catapult)

The TVAC uses electrical heating to replicate the highest temperatures that critical components might be exposed to, while the centres environmental chamber can get down to -80C. On a satellite, those temperatures can be managed by adding shade or heating elements.

Vacuum conditions lower materials boiling points, which can cause organic materials to outgas. This could change the properties of a system, by making it lighter, for example. Heat dissipation can also lead to higher temperatures in unexpected areas, so the TVAC chamber lets teams monitor this before launch.

Another key piece of equipment at Disc is the vibration table, which tends to be the last test before cubesats head to launch. Theyre scary, says OLeary. You are shaking something to try to destroy what you really dont want to be destroyed. And then they have to do functional tests, to make sure that nothing has dislodged.

Tests last for about two minutes shortish and sharpish from my point of view, says OLeary. From the point of view of the people who have made it, Im sure they must think it goes on forever.

The table shakes at frequencies of 20-2,000Hz, and the noise is equivalent to standing on a runway while a jet takes off. It only vibrates on one axis, so it has to be rotated and turned vertically for multiple tests.

As well as a sweep test, which goes through all frequencies at a low energy level to reveal resonances in the satellite, the equipment can also replicate the vibration profiles produced by specific rockets, giving satellite developers peace of mind that their kit will survive launch.

Thats where it can get very active, says OLeary. When youve got a satellite in there, no matter how well its built, its going to resonate, because you cant put the same kind of strengthening structures in a satellite because it needs to be kept light as you could if youre building something on Earth.

Something breaking during the test is the worst-case scenario, but OLeary says it has only happened to him once. The other pass criterion is whether there is a large shift in the resonances between the sweep tests carried out before and after the random profile test, which could indicate that something has changed significantly within the structure it might not be broken, but there is a risk of something breaking the next time it goes through the same forces.

An hours drive from Harwell, the Catapult has a simulated mission control in Westcott, Buckinghamshire. Instead of cubesats, which are roughly shoebox sized, the Westcott facility is focused on testing larger satellites and robots for In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM), a relatively new field that could become much more significant in future as ageing satellites are fixed or refuelled to prevent them from becoming space debris. Other applications might include assembling the giant arrays needed for space-based solar power (SBSP) installations.

The devices being tested range from proof-of-concept technology that will never go near a real spacecraft up to devices that could feasibly be launched. Systems might include robot arms, control systems, and the sensors they need to operate. They also often include simulated power sources, guidance and navigation systems, manipulators, and some degree of communications equipment.

Robotics development lead Jeremy Hadall sits in mission control, which replicates the kind of facility that might be used during flight. What we do here is replicate the mission level, he says. We assume that the hardware, at some stage, will be tested for this environment. It might be before it gets to us, it might be after it gets to us it doesnt really matter. The point is, were not concerned about how this hardware is going to survive in the space environment. What were concerned about is how the hardware is going to react when we put it through a mission set of parameters.

That means we can run the flight dynamics, we can run whatever it is thats going to run these robots or run these systems, and we can run them within the hardware, mimic the movements and learn and understand how these space systems are going to actually work.

He adds: What we try to do here is get to a point where the robot systems can operate without any human intervention I cant see the robot labs from here, unless I use the camera systems.

A device undergoes testing on a robotic arm in the IOSM yard (Credit: Satellite Applications Catapult)

Servicing defunct satellites has some significant challenges. If a satellite was last seen on the launch pad, we dont know what its going to look like, we dont know whats hit it, we dont know where the bits have come off it, says Hadall. Its a fairly unknown state. Weve got to get close to it. Thats quite a tricky operation.

That means an IOSM spacecraft would need to match its trajectory easy enough if it is under control, but very difficult if not. The Westcott facility simulates the effects of microgravity by suspending the IOSM devices with robotic arms or other additional supports, replicating how they would move in space.

The craft then needs to grab the satellite, which, being in space, will move in the opposite direction to anything that touches it. After that comes the servicing, refuelling or other mission task.

That itself is a whole can of worms to open up because, even now, little is designed for serviceability in orbit, says Hadall. We launch them, and the most we think about in terms of getting them back or reusing them or recycling them is something called demisability orbits, where we bring it back into the atmosphere and it burns up.

The tests provide IOSM projects with invaluable data for future operations. If a company is teaching an autonomous system, for example, it gets a training data set that can be implemented. Other projects are focused on validation tests, creating mission scenarios and making sure the system can do the same steps over and over again.

The changing economics of space launch, with many more launches and lower costs, means we might see less physical testing and increasing reliance on simulation in years to come but, for now, it makes sense to test what you are going to launch.

There are still processes in the build, such as soldering the circuits, where, if youve done that wrong and your wire breaks free, you then have got a brick flying around the world, rather than a satellite. At this stage, its worth their while, says OLeary, referring to cubesat manufacturers. He predicts that his facility could eventually test 100 each year as the UK satellite industry ramps up.

In future, Hadall suggests, IOSM devices could be tested and developed in space itself, and the Catapult is investigating the idea of a living lab in orbit. It would be nice to say that there is a space in space, if you excuse the pun, where we can go and test these things.

High demand for room on the International Space Station means that this is unlikely to happen in the near future, however. Launch costs and safety requirements also make it less likely.

Until then, the next best thing will be replicating space on Earth we do what we can to get close to it, says Hadall.

READ MORE:How Open Cosmos uses satellite testing to ensure its devices benefit society

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FEATURE: How the Satellite Applications Catapult replicates space ... - Professional Engineering

Canada's Artemis 2 astronaut says his country is just getting started in lunar realms with his round-the-moon mission.

Jeremy Hansen was named Canada's representative on Artemis 2 on April 3, and within days the experienced test pilot found himself exploring new worlds as a result: speaking with Stephen Colbert, walking the red carpet at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, participating in an Indigenous vision quest, visiting policy-makers in Canada and the U.S., and carrying the flag at the coronation of Charles III.

After this work to connect with numerous communities touched by space, the Artemis 2 crew officially began training on May 15, studying the control systems and computers of the Orion spacecraft and other technical matters.

In a few months, however the training timeline "gets a little fuzzy" as this will be the first moon crew in a half-century. The crew is awaiting direction, as well as development of simulators and procedures, from senior management. "For developmental missions, that's to be expected," Hansen told Space.com in an exclusive interview.

Related: Jeremy Hansen: Artemis 2 Canadian astronaut will fly around the moon

But there are a few things Hansen is sure about for himself and his three crewmates, all NASA astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, and pilot Victor Glover.

There will be geology training to prepare for looking at moon craters, potentially with Canadian crater expert Gordon Osinski with whom Hansen recently discovered a rare Earth crater on a previous expedition. There also will be continued conversations with Canadian and American policy-makers to chart out the path after Artemis 2, Hansen emphasized.

"Eventually, you'll see us doing amazing science and deep space," Hansen said. "You'll see a Canadian walk on the moon someday, and eventually go to Mars, because we have that ability to to do it in a way that brings benefits to Canadians."

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has suggested that Canada will have seats on Artemis 4 and 6, which are both planned moon-landing missions slated to run around the end of the decade.

CSA's director of space exploration development, Martin Bergeron, disclosed those early stage discussions at the Canadian Lunar Workshop in late May, according to SpaceQ. (The first landing mission, Artemis 3, may be in 2025 or 2026.)

Related: Artemis 2's Canadian astronaut got moon mission seat with 'potato salad'

Hansen has been with the CSA since 2009 and has not yet been granted a seat, as Canada's International Space Station (ISS) contribution of 2.3 percent generally allows for a mission only every half decade or so. (Canada's Chris Hadfield flew in 2012-13 on a mission assigned before Hansen was qualified for space, and then fellow 2009 astronaut class member David Saint-Jacques flew in 2018-19.)

But Hansen is known in the space community for helming high-profile projects, such as managing the training schedules of the entire 2017 astronaut class, and playing a lead role in the creation four tricky spacewalks to repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the ISS.

Many in Canada therefore pegged Hansen as the logical choice to launch on Artemis 2, but he said that was not a sure thing until he received a phone call from CSA president Lisa Campbell about two weeks before the April 3 announcement.

"I've known for a while that was sort of the intent, where we thought things would end up, so I wasn't completely surprised," Hansen said of the assignment. "But on the other hand, you just never know. It depends on when a mission actually is going to end up going, and there's always that uncertainty. We don't decide any further in advance than when we have to, because it just takes away options."

Related: Canada's Artemis 2 astronaut was named after a 14-year-wait for space

Canada received its seat due to its contribution of Canadarm3, a next generation robotic arm that will service NASA's planned Gateway space station at the moon. Canada has paid for its seats through the Canadarm series since the dawn of the space shuttle program, and recently allocated even more space money for a mini-moon rover, a lunar utility vehicle and further moon research development.

The country, which has about 40 million people spread across one of the biggest land spaces in the world, uses its small space budget to make strategic bets meant to pay off big. Robotics is one area, with space medicine, space food and artificial intelligence also seen as key investments for Canadian government.

Hansen emphasized this coalition work with NASA is important, not only for space opportunities but for the applications for remote environments on Earth.

"I'm really proud of this enormous team. I get to be the face of it for this mission, but it really reflects back on a huge team of people that made this possible," Hansen said. "It's Canada on the world stage. American leadership makes space for a country like Canada to shine, and bring our genius."

Indeed, Canadians collaborated with NASA on moon exploration long before CSA was formed in March 1989. For example: A few dozen engineers of the cancelled Avro Arrow, a supersonic plane project, joined NASA in key roles as the agency was preparing human moon missions in the 1960s. Also, Canadian "legs" from company Devtek (today's Hroux-Devtek) were used on the Apollo lunar lander during all human missions.

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Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen says a Canadian will walk on ... - Space.com

In February 2009, a Russian military satellite travelling at more than 42,000km per hour smashed into a US communications satellite.

Both satellites were instantly destroyed, shattering into tens of thousands of fragments. It was the first-ever in-orbit collision between two satellites. However, it is an event that could become increasingly common as humanity exponentially increases our activities in space.

In 2009, there were less than 1,000 active satellites in orbit. By 2030, there could be 100,000. This is due to the launch of mega-constellations of satellites by companies such as SpaceX and Amazon. Low-Earth orbits are becoming dangerously congested with larger and larger objects and increasing lethal debris. Both the European Space Agency and NASA have raised the alarm.

The collision in 2009, created thousands of pieces of debris of more than 10cm in diameter and many times that number of smaller debris travelling at speeds of up to 7km per second that cannot be tracked or avoided and can be can just as deadly when it collides with a satellite.

At these speeds, even a fleck of paint can cause critical damage to space infrastructure. In November 2021, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to take evasive measures to avoid debris created by the intentional destruction of a satellite by a Russian missile.

For years researchers have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of increasing space debris. In 1978, NASA scientist Donald Kessler outlined what could happen if a collision occurred in an over congested orbit.

Debris from the initial collision could produce many orbiting fragments, each one increasing the possibility of further collisions, ultimately this could spark a chain reaction that makies entire orbits unusable for generations.

Not only would this pose a huge risk to spacecraft and astronauts but vital services such as weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and internet connectivity could be lost.

If there is one lesson to draw from recent years, it is that seemingly unimaginable events can quickly become a reality, with devastating consequences. Growing congestion in low-earth orbit is not just increasing the risk of collisions, researchers and space agencies also are increasingly concerned about adverse effects on astronomy, the night sky, the atmosphere, and even earth defences against asteroid impacts. This damage is being driven by a handful of companies attempting to monopolize what should be a great shared resource.

We urgently need to act to curtail unduly risky behaviour and monopolisation of our orbital resources. Current space laws are no-longer fit for purpose, being designed for a period when companies were launching only a handful of satellites.

Ideally new rules would be developed at the global level under the auspices of the United Nations or the International Telecommunication Union. However, building any kind of global consensus in the near term seems impossible.

Just as Europe has led on environmental matters on earth, we must do the same in space. The European Union and its member states have the tools in place to prevent space from developing as a Wild West or the dominion of just a few.

The initial priority must be to understand what level of activity our orbital respources can sustainably handle. We took this approach for civilian air traffic; we should do the same for low-earth orbits. The European Space Agency and Europe's many leading universities are well-placed to do this, in close collaboration with private companies.

European and national regulators should then use the power of Europe's single market to force all companies to act responsibly. Regulators should set clear conditions when granting market access to lower the risk of collisions and the creation of debris, as well as ensuring shared access to limited orbital resources.

This would push companies and other jurisdictions such as the U.S. to also modify their response. The upcoming European Space Law is a great opportunity for Europe to take the lead. Standards set in Europe could then become the model worldwide. Getting this right matters because space is increasingly vital to all aspects of our lives.

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From increased connectivity to tackling global challenges such as climate change, the new space age offers a wealth of opportunities. However, these will only be realised if activities in our orbits are sustainable. Humanity has a bad track record in correcting damaging behaviour. Too often we only react after disaster occurs or the consequences of our actions are irreversible.

On earth we are playing catch-up, trying to mitigate the damage of climate change and clean up islands of plastic in our oceans. In space, the issues are playing out at an even more accelerated pace. We could go from very little material risk to the saturation of orbits closest to earth within this decade.

Right now, we still have a window of opportunity to act but it is quickly closing. We must urgently set clear rules to prevent destructive behaviour, so we don't squander yet another of earth's great resources. If we fail to do so we risk cutting off the vast possibilities of space for generations to come.

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EU should take lead on cleaning up environment in space - EUobserver

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Blue Origin looks to expand beyond US with international launch site - Financial Times

At the Paris Air Show EDR On-Line met the organisers of the World Defense Show to get the la test information on the 2024 edition of this exhibition that since its first edition in March 2022 the Riyadh exhibition became a reference in the Middle East.

The World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 will feature many news, the first being the date. The 2024 edition has been moved to the left and will now take place February 4-8 instead of mid March, when the weather proved to be critical, especially for what was linked to flight demonstrations. Another key factor is the fact that the exhibition time has been increased, the Saudi event being now a five-day exhibition.

Another key fact is the increased exhibiting surface; a new hall, Hall 3, will be added, which will increase floor space by 25%, to cope with the increased demand by exhibiting companies. According to WDS organisers, in mid-June 2023 90% of the space was already sold, the remaining 10% being mostly committed and just awaiting confirmation. In the end organisers are looking at some 750 exhibitors.

A number of successful schemes launched in 2022 will be proposed again to exhibitors. One of them is the Meet the KSA Government that allows companies to get in touch with Saudi officials and learn how to improve their contacts with Saudi Arabia. The other is the B2B Connect, which allows companies to arrange meetings ahead of the show, there was a huge demand two years ago, and organisers are doing all what they can to further improve that scheme.

As said the WDS will now be a five-day event; however Day 1 will be a preview day, and will be reserved to VIPs and delegations, normal visitors being accepted from Day 2 on. Day 1 will see the Future of Defense Forum with the participation of around 200 high-level representatives, and in the afternoon a welcome reception will be organised.

When on Day 2 visitors will access the WDS premises a number of new sections will be available. While in 2022 the main focus was Command and Control, 2024 will focus on Space. Recently two Saudi astronauts spent some time on board the International Space Station, and the Saudi Space Agency is pretty active, therefore 2,000 m2 in Hall 3 will be dedicated to the Space Theatre. Technology will also have a special place, while the Future of Defense Hub will host all those SMEs that think out of the bow and bring in innovations, which will be of interest for visitors but also for major companies.

Further improvements will be made in order to increase the effectiveness of visiting schemes for delegations, which number will considerably increase compared to 2022, while many logistic aspects, from food and beverage to transportation will also be refined, EDR On-Line understood.

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World Defense Show adds space and time - EDR Magazine

A new type of flame produced on the International Space Station (ISS) doesnt just look cool with its spherical blue glowitiscool.

Cool flames, which burn at temperatures much lower than traditional hot flames, could be the key to improving internal combustion engine efficiency and reducing the emission of harmful pollutants. Currently, internal combustion engines in most cars burn gasoline at only 35% efficiency; however, incorporating cool flame chemistry into engines could theoretically increase the efficiency to as high as 60%. To gain a better understanding of cool flame chemistry, researchers are turning to the ISS National Laboratory.

On Earth, cool flames are difficult to study because gravity-driven buoyancy quickly snuffs them out. This makes the space stations microgravity environment an ideal platform to study these unique flames. A team of scientists, led byUniversity of MarylandresearcherPeter Sunderland, used microgravity conditions on the space station to produce cool diffusion flames from liquid fuel for the first time, providing new insight into cool flame chemistry.

The latest issue ofUpward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab, delves into findings from this exciting research.Upwardis dedicated to communicating the results of space station experiments that demonstrate the value of space-based research and development.

Read the article Going Cool toGo Green to see how studying cool flames in space could lead to cleaner, more efficient internal combustion engines on Earth.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the space station are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), Inc. manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space.

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Cool Flames in Space Could Lead to More Efficient Engines on Earth - West Orlando News

Ive got an awesome trailer here for you to watch for a Korean space survival thriller titled The Moon. This looks like a great movie that is going to take audiences on a crazy ride! The film looks like a mix of Apollo 13 and The Martian but with its own highly intense action-packed flair.

The movie is set in 2030 and in the story, when the manned lunar exploration project has progressed considerably. Astronaut Hwang Seon-woo, ends up stranded on the Moon alone in space beyond 384,000 km due to an accident on the lunar surface, and Kim Jae-guk , the former head of the space center must desperately try to save him. On the other hand, Moon Young, general director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration space station, has a hidden secret.

The movie was written and directed by Korean filmmaker Kim Yong-hwa, creator of the LittleBigPlanet video game, and director of Oh! Brothers, 200 Pounds Beauty, Take Off, Mr. Go, and Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds & The Last 49 Days. The film stars Do Kyung-soo, Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Hee-ae, Jo Han-chul, and Park Byung Eun.

The Moon will open in Korean theaters on August 2nd, 2023. There's no on when well get to watch it in the US.

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Thrilling Trailer for the Space Survival Korean Film THE MOON ... - GeekTyrant

HOUSTON, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Astronaut and retired U.S. Space Force Col. Mike Hopkins has retired from NASA after a career of 14 years that included 334 days in space and five spacewalks.

Hopkins' last spaceflight was as commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station in 2020. Crew-1 was the first flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, and the first flight of the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft "Resilience." His last day with NASA was May 1.

"I would like to express my heartfelt thank you to Mike Hopkins for his dedicated years of service in advancing our mission for the benefit of all humanity," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Mike's unwavering commitment to mission excellence will continue to inspire generations to come."

The Crew-1 mission saw the first night splashdown of a U.S. crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8's return to Earth, and, at the time, broke the record for longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft. Crew-1 worked on a number of experiments as part of Expedition 64 aboard the space station.

"In a time where people needed it most, Mike Hopkins showed the world that there is no limit to what humans can achieve when we all work together," said Shannon Walker, deputy chief of NASA's Astronaut Office. "As his crewmate on the Crew-1 mission, I saw his resiliency, infectious spirit of exploration, and can-do attitude firsthand, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Hopkins also served as a flight engineer on the space station's Expedition 37/38 in 2014, launching aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. During the mission, Hopkins and his crewmates oversaw the departure of the first demonstration flight of the Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital Sciences) Cygnus resupply spacecraft and performed hundreds of hours of scientific experiments.

Over the course of his career, he conducted five spacewalks, totaling 32 hours working outside of the space station in a spacesuit to perform maintenance and upgrades to the station's exterior.

"For over 60 years, NASA has been changing the world, demonstrating that nothing is impossible when people and nations work together," Hopkins said. "For myself and my family, it has been a privilege to be a very small part of this amazing organization as it leads humanity's journey to the stars. "I have loved being an astronaut and leaving the corps was the hardest decision I've ever made. To my crewmates, fellow astronauts, and the entire NASA family, thank you for an incredible 14 years and Godspeed."

The Lebanon, Missouri, native began his NASA career in 2009 when he reported for duty alongside the other eight members of NASA's 20th astronaut class, graduating as a flight-eligible astronaut in 2011. He served in the U.S. Air Force prior to his selection and in a ceremony aboard the space station became the first astronaut to transfer his service to the Space Force. He retired from military service after 30 years at the same time as his NASA departure.

Hopkins graduated from the School of the Osage High School in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991. He earned his master's degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford University in California in 1992.

Learn more about how NASA explores the unknown and innovates for the benefit of humanity at:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts

SOURCE NASA

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NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins Retires from the Agency - PR Newswire

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan during a 2020 space walk at the International Space Station. Researchers theorize that the weightlessness astronauts experience on the ISS contributes to immune system dysfunction. NASA

Traveling to space is extremely taxing on the body, and for years, scientists have been trying to understand how astronauts muscles, bones, organs, blood and mental health are affected when they leave the familiar environment of Earths gravity.

Now, scientists say that space travel can reduce gene activity in some white blood cells, leading astronauts immune systems to suffer during trips to the International Space Station (ISS).

The research, published last week in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, looks at blood samples taken from 14 astronauts before, during and after stints of about six months at the ISS. Shortly after the astronauts arrived at the station, the expression of genes connected to the immune system decreasedand it didnt return to normal until after theyd come back to Earth.

The new findings add to the growing body of work documenting the effects of space travel on human health and physiology.

These results are important considerations of risks to health during spaceflight and space exploration, Myles Harris, who studies space health at the University College London and did not contribute to the research, tells BBC Science Focus Noa Leach.

Before this paper, we knew of immune dysfunction but not of the mechanisms, Guy Trudel, a co-author of the study and clinical researcher at the University of Ottawa in Canada, tells Reuters Will Dunham.

While the International Space Station is only a couple hundred miles from the groundclose enough to feel Earths gravityastronauts onboard experience weightlessness because the station is in free fall while orbiting the planet. This microgravity, as well as exposure to space radiation and the psychological impacts of isolation, affects the body in a number of ways.

Living in low gravity can cause people to lose bone density and muscle mass. Without gravity, fluids shift upward in the body, which can put pressure behind the eyes and cause vision problems, per NASA. Fluid-filled cavities in the brain known as ventricles expand during space flight, and a study earlier this month found it could take at least three years for this effect to subside after astronauts return to Earth.

Short- and long-term spaceflight negatively affects most physiological functions, write the authors of the new study.

Previous research has also shown that space travelers immune systems change, according to NASA. Studies have revealed that astronauts on the ISS sometimes experience cold symptoms and skin rashes and that dormant viruses the astronauts once had, such as herpes or chicken pox, can reactivate while in space, writes National Geographics Carrie Arnold.

For the new study, the astronaut participants11 men and three womenhad blood drawn once before takeoff, four times while on the ISS and five times after they returned to Earth.

The researchers looked at the gene expression in leukocytes, which are white blood cells made in the bone marrow that create proteins to ward off pathogens. After just 8 to 12 days in space, genes connected to immune function within these white blood cells decreased in activity. In 247 of the examined genes, expression was down to about one third of normal, according to Reuters.

These changes leveled off after two to six months in space, and they didnt go back to normal until within a month of astronauts return to Earth.

I was not expecting such a large change in gene expression. Why would the immune system go down in microgravity? study co-author Odette Laneuville, a molecular biologist at the University of Ottawa, tells National Geographic. There seems to be something special about space.

The researchers theorize that these changes were caused by exposure to microgravity as opposed to, say, space radiation, according to Reuters. When people are in microgravity, they experience a shift in how blood plasma is distributed throughout the body, which causes their volume of blood to drop by 10 to 15 percent, the authors write. As a result, there might not be enough room for all the immune cells in the blood, and the decreased gene expression could get rid of some cells, Laneuville tells Ari Daniel on NPRs All Things Considered.

The new findings shed light on how our bodies adapt to, and recover from, extreme environments.

Within minutes of being in space, your body is changing, Jamie Foster, an astrobiologist at the University of Florida who did not participate in the research, tells National Geographic. But I dont think we have a really good handle on the long-term changes yet.

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Why Astronauts Have Weaker Immune Systems in Space - Smithsonian Magazine

Scientists and chefs alike are working to revolutionize food technology to determine what astronauts on missions that take them away from Earth for years will eat to maintain both their physical and mental health.

Humanity is well in the midst of preparing for the next era of space exploration, which will involve long stays on the lunar surface and crewed journeys beyond the moon, potentially to the surface of Mars. NASA's Artemis program has undergone its first test flight and is expected to return humanity to the moon by 2025. After this, NASA will attempt to use the moon as a stepping stone for a crewed Mars mission.

Working with the Humanity in Deep Space initiative, University of Kentucky chef Bob Perry is cooking up a recipe for food and nutrition on longer space missions. To do this, the team is considering human flavor perception and how the brain makes use of sensory data to experience and remember food. This study, called neurological gastronomy or "neurogastronomy" allows the "human factor" to be considered when thinking about astronauts' health and nutrition.

Related: Space food: Why Mars astronauts wont have to hold the fries (video)

Neurogastronomy examines the relationship between humans, the food they eat and where food comes from, and this can be applied to the practicalities of eating in deep space.

"One of the primary concerns is the psychological impact on astronauts during long-duration space missions," UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment food lab coordinator and a founder of The International Society of Neurogastronomy, Bob Perry, said in a statement. "Through pioneering research and flight experiments, neurogastronomy explores various fascinating areas."

Humanity and Deep Space founding member Kris Kimel said that a journey to Mars from Earth would take around seven months each way, with astronauts expected to spend around a year on the Martian surface investigating the Red Planet. That means Mars explorers could spend between two and three years away from the home comforts of Earth.

"Understanding the relationship between the brain, the gut, and effects of long-term spaceflight is crucial," UK College of Social Work graduate Kimel added. "Growing food during the journey becomes a necessity."

International Space Station (ISS) crew members have already experimented with growing lettuce and other crops, but the challenge lies in scaling up production to sustain a crew of several individuals for stays in space longer than a few months.

Another critical aspect of astronaut food research is understanding how the microgravity environment of space impacts the digestive process and the communities of microorganisms that live in the stomach the microbiome of the gut. Examining gut health through the lens of neurogastronomy could help develop specially tailored diets for astronauts that optimize the number of nutrients they absorb while in deep space.

Another aspect of the deep-space experience that the team aims to understand is how microgravity affects the senses of taste and smell. This could help better formulate food that ensures that crews don't lose the enjoyment of food while far away from Earth.

Additionally, exploring new preservation and fermentation approaches could not only ensure food supplies last for the duration of long space missions but could also mean that there is variety in the diets of astronauts. This diversity of flavors and food textures could be important to the psychological health of astronauts by limiting so-called "menu fatigue."

"The isolation and confinement experienced in deep space can profoundly affect human psychology. If you go back throughout history, you find a table where people gather to eat food in every single society," Perry said. "Zero gravity cooking tools and applications become essential instruments for spacefarers, enabling them to navigate the challenges and prepare meals in a microgravity environment. Astronauts must also connect through food even in these most extraordinary circumstances."

Though it is primarily focused on deep space, the work undertaken by Perry and the Humanity and Deep Space initiative may also have implications closer to home, back here on Terra Firma.

That's because the knowledge and technology arrived at by Perry and the team could help lead to a sustainable closed-loop food system in space that could then be applied here on Earth. Optimizing the use of resources for deep space missions could also help improve food sustainability and reduce food waste for humans on our planet.

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Astronauts need better food for long-term deep space missions - Space.com