NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will soon board the International Space Station as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, a mission that will advance scientific research and promote knowledge about how people can live and work in space.
During the planned five-month mission, Hague’s mission will include participating in various research projects for NASA’s Human Research Program. Each study is designed to help address health challenges astronauts may face during future long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“Hague’s experience in research can lead to scientific advances that may not be possible on Earth,” said Steven Platts, chief scientist for human exploration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The main focus of Hague’s time in the space station is to study the vision problem of spaceflight called Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) which causes the milk to turn to head in weight. These changes can cause changes in the eye: the optic nerve can swell, the retina can begin to fold, the back of the eye can even melt. Previous studies show that many factors contribute to the disease, so two studies related to vision and this information will solve different and different ways that can help to solve or even prevent changes such during future work.
One project, called the Thigh Cuff, will investigate whether wearing a tight-fitting garment can prevent the disease by adding more moisture to the tissue in the leg. Thigh boots are compact, lightweight and easy to use, which makes them attractive for use during long, deep space operations.
For this study, Hague will wear a thigh brace for six hours over two periods. To help researchers check how well the cuffs work, he will record ultrasound images of blood flow in his legs and neck muscles during the session. The researchers will compare this data with an ultrasound taken without the cuff to evaluate flow differences.
“Thigh bones like these could allow researchers to better assess medical conditions that cause increased fluid in the brain or increased blood flow to the heart,” said lead study author Brandon Macias at NASA Johnson said.
In another study, Hague will test if vitamin supplements can help fight SANS. The study, led by Sara Zwart, a nutritionist at NASA Johnson, aims to examine if daily B vitamin supplementation – taken before, during , and after the flight – can prevent or reduce swelling behind the eyes. This research will also examine how a person’s genetics may affect the response.
“Preliminary research shows that some people are more susceptible to this eye disease than others depending on genetic factors that can affect the need for B vitamins, so taking vitamins every day can make all the difference,” Zwart said. “We think by giving B vitamins, we might be taking that part of genetic change out of the equation.”
The work could also eventually improve treatment options for women around the world with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that can cause changes in fertility and infertility in women. Researchers hope that patients can benefit in the same way by protecting the same genes and vitamin intake as astronauts.
Hague will record data to study whether a new way to administer anti-cholera drugs can help reduce motion sickness following the onset and fall. In this study, Hague was able to give himself a prescription nasal gel of the drug scopolamine. Hague will see his experience using this drug and any other pain relief, including other drugs or behavioral programs such as head movement.
The study, by neuroscientist Scott Wood of NASA Johnson, will eventually include 48 people.
“Our goal is to understand how we can help future space travelers adapt to motion sickness while living and working in space,” Wood said. “The crew members must be healthy and perform important tasks, including landing on the moon and other places.”
To help NASA plan future missions, Hague will also participate in human exploration that solves other challenges in space, such as avoiding injuries when returning to Earth and learning how space travel affects the human body at the molecular level.
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NASA’s Human Exploration Program pursues the best methods and technologies to support productive human space travel. This program studies how aviation affects the human body and behavior through science conducted in laboratories, ground analogs, commercial operations, and international airports. Such discoveries continue to drive NASA’s efforts to develop ways to keep astronauts healthy and ready as space exploration expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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