NASA seeks volunteers for a spaceflight simulation

NASA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR SPACEFLIGHT SIMULATION STUDIES

December 20, 2005

William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(281) 483-5111)



Report #J05-067

NASA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR SPACEFLIGHT SIMULATION STUDIES

Here's your chance to help humans return to the moon. You can do it without
even getting out of bed.

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is recruiting volunteers to
participate in spaceflight simulation studies to help prepare the agency to
send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars and beyond. These studies
will use long-term bed rest to simulate the effects of weightlessness on the
human body.

Bed rest can closely imitate some of the changes in astronauts' bodies
during weightlessness. Scientists developing protective measures to make
spaceflight safer for the astronauts can test them in bed rest test
subjects.

According to Janice Meck, lead scientist for JSC's Flight Analog Project,
"Our volunteers are the key to the success of this project, and they are
very special people. We put them to bed to 'decondition' them. In some
subjects we will evaluate special treatments to reverse the effects of the
deconditioning. Those treatments that work in our bed rest studies will be
developed for use during spaceflight by the astronauts. By doing these bed
rest studies we can move much faster in the development of these
treatments."

One such protective measure to be tested in upcoming studies is artificial
gravity. Bill Paloski, lead scientist for the Artificial Gravity Project,
said, "Volunteers in the artificial gravity studies can help us turn science
fiction into reality by spinning around in our human centrifuge each day
during bed rest to help us determine the best prescription to use for
gravity replacement therapy."

Participants will stay in a NASA research facility at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for 41 to 119 days depending on the
selected study. Studies will include a series of tests that will measure the
state of the body for a baseline and determine changes in bone, muscle,
heart, circulatory and other body systems.

Participants in the Bed Rest Project must be nonsmokers, age 25 to 55, and
in good health. Women must not be using hormones nor be menopausal.

Volunteers who pass an initial screening will be invited to complete a NASA
physical exam. Once medically qualified, the volunteer participants will be
compensated for their time spent in any additional screenings or during the
study participation. If not immediately selected, the participants will
remain qualified for one year and could be eligible for other studies.

For more information, contact the Human Test Subject Facility at
1-866-JSC-TEST (1-866-572-8378) or visit:

www.bedreststudy.com




--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info

hasnt this testing been going on for many years?

Bob Haller wrote:
hasnt this testing been going on for many years?


If NASA doesn't get enough volunteers will they have to institute a
draft?


;-)

Rusty

ERM, I thought they were already participating in the bedrest trials the
ESA were and still are running? Or are American bedresters supposed to react
differently to European ones?

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Jacques van Oene" wrote in message
...
NASA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR SPACEFLIGHT SIMULATION STUDIES

December 20, 2005

William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(281) 483-5111)



Report #J05-067

NASA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR SPACEFLIGHT SIMULATION STUDIES

Here's your chance to help humans return to the moon. You can do it
without
even getting out of bed.

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is recruiting volunteers to
participate in spaceflight simulation studies to help prepare the agency
to
send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars and beyond. These studies
will use long-term bed rest to simulate the effects of weightlessness on
the
human body.

Bed rest can closely imitate some of the changes in astronauts' bodies
during weightlessness. Scientists developing protective measures to make
spaceflight safer for the astronauts can test them in bed rest test
subjects.

According to Janice Meck, lead scientist for JSC's Flight Analog Project,
"Our volunteers are the key to the success of this project, and they are
very special people. We put them to bed to 'decondition' them. In some
subjects we will evaluate special treatments to reverse the effects of the
deconditioning. Those treatments that work in our bed rest studies will be
developed for use during spaceflight by the astronauts. By doing these
bed
rest studies we can move much faster in the development of these
treatments."

One such protective measure to be tested in upcoming studies is artificial
gravity. Bill Paloski, lead scientist for the Artificial Gravity Project,
said, "Volunteers in the artificial gravity studies can help us turn
science
fiction into reality by spinning around in our human centrifuge each day
during bed rest to help us determine the best prescription to use for
gravity replacement therapy."

Participants will stay in a NASA research facility at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for 41 to 119 days depending on the
selected study. Studies will include a series of tests that will measure
the
state of the body for a baseline and determine changes in bone, muscle,
heart, circulatory and other body systems.

Participants in the Bed Rest Project must be nonsmokers, age 25 to 55, and
in good health. Women must not be using hormones nor be menopausal.

Volunteers who pass an initial screening will be invited to complete a
NASA
physical exam. Once medically qualified, the volunteer participants will
be
compensated for their time spent in any additional screenings or during
the
study participation. If not immediately selected, the participants will
remain qualified for one year and could be eligible for other studies.

For more information, contact the Human Test Subject Facility at
1-866-JSC-TEST (1-866-572-8378) or visit:

www.bedreststudy.com




--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info

Brian Gaff wrote:
[...]
One such protective measure to be tested in upcoming studies is artificial
gravity. Bill Paloski, lead scientist for the Artificial Gravity Project,
said, "Volunteers in the artificial gravity studies can help us turn
science
fiction into reality by spinning around in our human centrifuge each day
during bed rest to help us determine the best prescription to use for
gravity replacement therapy."

ERM, I thought they were already participating in the bedrest trials the
ESA were and still are running? Or are American bedresters supposed to react
differently to European ones?

This sounds like phase n+1...add rotational effects, disect later...uh,
that is, measure bone density and muscle mass.

/dps

snidely wrote:
[...]
This sounds like phase n+1...add rotational effects, disect later...uh,
that is, measure bone density and muscle mass.


I guess the foot of the bed will be aimed towards the outer edge of the
turntable/centrifuge.

/dps

with years of ISS and Mir studies whats the point?

Mars is at least 20 years away.

With small budgets, and life sciences hacked for station just why now?

HEY NASA watch asked the same question I did...

Wonder if NASA will have a explnation?

Bob Haller wrote:
with years of ISS and Mir studies whats the point?

small sample poplulation, and no centrifuge.

Mars is at least 20 years away.

With small budgets, and life sciences hacked for station just why now?

Because this experiment is (relatively) cheap, and it may take 20 years
to figure out an effectie remediation.

Consider how many potential AIDS vaccines have already been discarded
after testing showed they weren't the one we were looking for.

/dps