Space Cycle ~A New Wave of Innovation~
University of California at Irvine
Humans have been flying into space for nearly five decades. In 2004, President Bush unveiled a bold plan designed to energize and move the United States space program beyond low earth orbit missions. This plan envisioned returning humans to the Moon and to use the Moon as a test bed for the goal of voyaging to Mars and beyond.
We have been reminded on numerous occasions, however, that spaceflight is truly challenging and dangerous. There is no other environment that poses a greater challenge for both spacecraft and the "human machine". While a great deal of attention has been given to engineering the spacecraft, an equal amount attention needs to be given to engineering the human machine, safeguarding the integrity of both physical and behavioral function. Microgravity represents a tremendous challenge to human physiology, causing profound loss of muscle mass and function, bone mass, and cardiovascular function. Such losses in physiological function and integrity are major obstacles to long-term space flight and the journey to both the Moon and Mars. Without effective countermeasures to prevent the loss of physiological function, the human machine will be compromised, placing future missions at risk not because of a failure in spacecraft design and construction but as a consequence of failure to recognize the frailty of the human machine.
In this context, NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) have committed significant resources to develop countermeasures to prevent the loss of physiological function that occurs in space. NSBRI has developed 10 teams of investigators who are dedicated to resolving the physiological and medical challenges of long duration space flight.
Our Space Cycle team at UC Irvine is part of several NSBRI teams and is interested in determining if artificial gravity can be used as an effective countermeasure to microgravity. To this end, we have developed a unique human powered centrifuge that couples exercise with artificial gravity. We call this human powered centrifuge the "Space Cycle", and the image above illustrates our vision that artificial gravity and devices like the Space Cycle will be necessary for extending the presence of humans in space, from the Moon, to Mars, and someday beyond.
Why might artificial gravity be necessary for maintaining the integrity of the human machine in microgravity? Simply put, humans have evolved within the gravitational field of earth. The effects of gravity have imposed unique loading conditions that have undoubtedly played an important role in determining the structure and function of key physiological systems such as those of the cardiovascular system, muscle system, and skeletal system. The absence of gravitational loading (as occurs in microgravity) compromises the functional health of the body, and this can only be restored by imposing similar challenges using artificial gravity. Our challenge is to determine how to effectively use artificial gravity as a countermeasure. Will periodic exposures (several minutes to hours) to artificial gravity be sufficient to prevent a loss of function or will much longer exposures be necessary? Devices like the Space Cycle will play a key role in answering this fundamental question.
Take a spin with us! Click here to experience the Space Cycle in action
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