Tag Archive for 'Microgravity'

Jörges et al. tackled the question of whether body posture influences human perception of self-motion and distance; they found some evidence that the same amount of optic flow can elicit the sensation of having traveled further when supine versus when sitting upright, that is, optic flow is more effective at eliciting a sense of self-motion when supine; this constitutes evidence that visual and non-visual cues are at least partially integrated even when self-motion is presented only visually; however, they did not find any significant differences between performance on Earth and in the microgravity of the ISS, suggesting that vestibular cues play a minor role, if any, in the estimation of visually presented self-motion.

Astronauts Have Surprising Ability to Orient Themselves and Gauge Distance Traveled in Space: Study

Mar 28, 2024 by News Staff

New research has implications for crew safety in space and could potentially give clues to how aging affects people’s balance systems here on Earth. Jörges...

Strong evidence suggesting that frying in space is possible. Image credit: Lioumbas et al., doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112249.

Is Frying Possible in Space?

Jun 12, 2023 by Natali Anderson

French fries are a very popular food commodity across many cultural backgrounds on Earth and as such they may be appreciated by long-term space travelers....

Gabel et al. examined bone strength, density, and microarchitecture in seventeen astronauts using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Image credit: NASA.

Microgravity Induces Irreversible Damage to Bone Strength and Density, Says New Study

Jul 4, 2022 by News Staff

Scientists from the University of Calgary and elsewhere have followed 17 International Space Station astronauts before and after spaceflight over the last...

Trudel et al. suggest that the destruction of red blood cells, termed hemolysis, is a primary effect of microgravity in space flight and support the hypothesis that the anemia associated with space flight is a hemolytic condition that should be considered in the screening and monitoring of both astronauts and space tourists. Image credit: NASA.

Study: Destruction of Red Blood Cells Contributes to Anemia during Long-Duration Space Flights

Jan 14, 2022 by News Staff

On Earth, our bodies create and destroy 2 million red blood cells every second. In a new study published today in the journal Nature Medicine, a team of...

Astronaut Christina Koch plating Saccharomyces cerevisiae following transformation. Image credit: NASA.

CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing Demonstrated aboard International Space Station

Jul 1, 2021 by News Staff

A team of U.S. scientists has developed a CRISPR-based method for studying how eukaryotic cells repair DNA in space. Astronaut Christina Koch plating Saccharomyces...

Willis et al. performed comparative transcriptomic analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans responses to varying degrees of hypergravity and to two spaceflight experiments. Image credit: Willis et al., doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101734.

Spaceflight-Induced Microgravity Affects Genes, Study Shows

Nov 25, 2020 by News Staff

A genetic analysis of transparent nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans on the International Space Station showed ‘subtle changes’ in about 1,000 genes;...

Reconstructed sagittal 5-mm orthogonal midline images in the brain using the sagittal 3D T1-weighted data set: (left) preflight baseline image and (right) matching postflight image (postflight day 1) in the same astronaut; the black arrowheads show upward expansion of the anterior, middle, and posterior superior margins of the lateral ventricle with associated narrowing of the marginal sulcus of the cingulate sulcus (white arrowhead); there is subtle expansion of the third ventricle (indicated by a 3), which has displaced the thalamus (T) from midline, making it less visible; there is thickening of the intermediate signal scalp soft tissues (arrows). Image credit: Kramer et al, doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020191413.

Study: Long-Duration Spaceflight Affects Brain Volume

Apr 16, 2020 by News Staff

A new study led by Professor Larry Kramer from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston suggests that the impact of microgravity is far-reaching,...

The Expedition 20 crew members share a meal in the Unity node of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA.

Spaceflight Can Cause Sustained Defect in Epithelial Barrier Function, New Study Shows

Nov 27, 2019 by News Staff

Epithelial cells that line our intestines serve as a robust barrier to invasion by viruses, bacteria and exposure to ingested agents. A new study, published...

BioRock: Researchers to Examine Microbe-Mineral Interactions in Space

Jul 24, 2019 by News Staff

BioRock, a new investigation on the International Space Station (ISS), is expected to help gain insight into the physical interactions of liquid, rocks,...

Resveratrol May Protect against Muscle Atrophy Induced by Martian Gravity

Jul 19, 2019 by News Staff

In a study done in rats, a moderate daily dose of resveratrol — a natural antioxidant found in more than 70 species of plants such as grapes, cranberries,...

The pale blue Earth serves as a backdrop for astronaut Michael Gernhardt, who is attached to the Shuttle Endeavour’s robot arm during a spacewalk on the STS-69 mission in 1995. Unlike earlier spacewalking astronauts, Gernhardt was able to use an electronic cuff checklist, a prototype developed for the assembly of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA.

Long-Duration Spaceflight Affects Spinal Muscles of Astronauts, New Study Shows

Oct 27, 2016 by News Staff

Long-flight astronauts have atrophy of the muscles supporting the spine — and they don’t return to normal even after several weeks back on Earth,...

The International Space Station, as seen from Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011. Image credit: NASA.

Space’s Microgravity Accelerates Biological Aging of Some Cells, Scientists Say

Nov 1, 2013 by News Staff

According to a team of researchers led by Dr Silvia Bradamante from Institute of Molecular Science and Technologies in Milan, Italy, microgravity accelerates...