ESA’s Education Office and the Space Medicine Team invite BSc and MSc university students studying medicine, allied healthcare subjects, life, biomedical or biological sciences to apply to the Human Space Physiology Training Course 2023. The course will be held between 4 and 8 December 2023 at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in ESA’s European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), Belgium. Through face-to-face and videoconference lectures, students will discover how spaceflight represents a significant physiological challenge to the human body. Having evolved in Earth’s gravity, our bodies adapt when in microgravity. Some of these adaptations may comprise astronaut health and well-being, either in flight or upon return to Earth. As a result, these adaptations must be understood in order to inform development of effective strategies to support humans during space missions to the International Space Station and beyond.
During the five-day course, students will learn about life in space and the physiological adaptations associated with it, in addition to how a range of Earth-based analogues, such as long-term (head down) bed rest and over-wintering in Antarctica, are used to investigate some of the potential underlying mechanisms. Finally, current and some potential future approaches to mitigate the effects of the space environment on the human body will be discussed.
Expert explaining the principle of vestibulo ocular for gaze stabilization
Expert explaining the principle of vestibulo ocular for gaze stabilization
As part of the programme, students will work on a group project, addressing some of the major issues and challenges human spaceflight is facing. On the final day of the training course, each group will present their findings to the other participants. Topics will include: Female flyers - how can/should female astronaut health be addressed?; Bouncing babies - what could the biological effect of being born in partial gravity (e.g. the Moon) be on human development
Students participating in this training course can expect to be introduced to the following topics:
What it’s really like to live in space
The challenges, lessons, and successes that have led to permanent occupation of the International Space Station
The conditions that the ISS provides to protect and support life
How the senses perceive being ‘weightless’
How key physiological systems respond to microgravity, what mechanisms underlie these changes, and some approaches that may be used to mitigate such effects
How human space physiology research is performed both in space, and using Earth-based analogues
How astronauts’ physical and mental well-being is supported through ESA’s Space Medicine Team
Major issues and challenges current human spaceflight and future space exploration must overcome
Day 1
Introduction A History of Human Spaceflight
The Space Environment - Outside and Inside a Space Vehicle
Space Radiation and Health Risks
The Global Exploration Roadmap - The Future of Human Space Exploration
Introduction to Group Project
Day 2
How Do Animal and Cellular Studies Help Our Understanding of Human Space Physiology?
ESA Human Research Activities - ISS and Ground Analogues
A Sense of Space Fundamentals of Muscle and Neuromuscular Function in Space
How Space has an Impact on the Neurosensory System and the Brain
Day 3
Effects of Microgravity on the Cardiovascular System
Fundamentals of Bone Physiology in Space
Adaptation of the Human Immune System to Extreme and Changing Environments
EVA Training Medical Support of ISS Astronauts
Day 4
Psychological Effects of Human Spaceflight
Physical Exercise and Reconditioning in Spaceflight
Space Medicine Projects at EAC
Nutritional Support for Astronauts Exploration Medical Systems
Day 5
Experience of an ESA Astronaut
Group Project Presentation & Training Course Conclusion
