On July 26, FMUL welcomed a very eclectic group of young people. From different backgrounds and with very different areas of training - lawyers, engineers, architects - they share a passion for space. They came to the FMUL Campus to attend one of the modules of the Space Studies Program (SSP) course promoted by the International Space University (ISU) and held this year in Portugal. The initiative was organized by the Portuguese Space Agency and the Instituto Superior Técnico.
When they arrived at the Reynaldo dos Santos Building, Professor Edson Oliveira, a neurosurgeon and aerospace medicine researcher, and Professor Thais Russomano, a specialist in space physiology and space medicine, were already waiting for them. The day was set aside to talk about space. The theme of the module given by the two FMUL professors "Human Space Exploration" focused on the effects of space travel on the human body. Throughout the morning, the skills of astronauts were highlighted, as well as the psychological and physical changes they undergo whenever they travel in space and are subjected to hostile conditions.
Our body is the result of adapting to the environment in which we live, which is very different from the conditions experienced in space. Microgravity has a significant impact on the body's organs with a reduction in blood volume, the heart, bone mass and muscle mass. When the body is weightless, the muscles shrink and absorb the remaining tissue. To counteract these effects, astronauts need to exercise for around two hours on treadmills and other machines specially designed for places without gravity. CEMA has one of these machines. During the afternoon, the group had the opportunity to visit and try out some of the machines in the laboratory.
As gravity doesn't put pressure on the body, the spine stretches and the person becomes taller in space. NASA first noticed this change more than 20 years ago on Skylab.The astronauts' spines returned to normal a few days after their return.
There's also the puffy face effect and bird legs, resulting from the transfer of body fluids to the upper regions of the human body. All reversible on return to the atmosphere.
Vision is also affected by changes in pressurization in space. Some astronauts have returned with a flattened eye nerve. The changes are similar to those seen in people with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a condition in which the pressure of blood and other fluids is abnormally high in the brain.
Radiation levels on the International Space Station can be up to 48 times higher than on Earth, so this is also a concern.
The truth is that the database is still small and not very comprehensive. Until now, space crew members have been healthy, trained and closely monitored, but with the emergence and growth of commercial space travel, it is important to understand the changes the human body undergoes, whether or not they are reversible and what side effects they can cause. How does space affect men and women? In the study and understanding of space there are still few certainties and a long way to go.
We spoke to Kris Lehnhardt from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Professor Virginia Wotring from the International Space University (ISU).
Chris Lehnhardt (NASA)
How important are these courses for the development of space studies?
Chris Lehnhardt: This ISU program is designed to teach future space professionals about the nature of interdisciplinary work and its importance. This group is learning all about the challenges to human health and performance that arise from spaceflight. They are learning how to work together as a team and how to deal with some of these challenges.
What are the advantages of having such an eclectic group?
Chris Lehnhardt: We've learned from the past that the knowledge and skills of various people help to overcome problems in different ways. our engineers and all the other professionals who contributed to finding solutions to the challenges that occurred in spaceflight had a lot of experience in solving problems in very specific areas and that helped.
Now that we're doing new and interesting things in space, we have to think of new ways to solve these problems, so it makes sense to absorb lawyers, architects and engineers, among others.
As for tourist trips to space. What is your opinion of them?
Chris Lehnhardt: I think they're very exciting and I can't wait for more people to have access to space, especially people from other countries. Soon we'll have the first flight by a citizen of Egypt. More recently, a Venezuelan flew and soon we'll also have a Portuguese man flying with Blue Origin. It will be a short flight, but the team has already been announced, so it's coming soon. We're bringing space closer to more citizens. There are more and more conditions for everyone to be able to make these journeys and not just the people selected by the government to be astronauts.
Virginia Wotring Professor at ISU
Why was Portugal chosen to host ISS22?
Virginia Wotring: We thought the Portuguese Space Agency was an excellent partner because we hoped it would put us in touch with various business partners and incubators that develop work and have an interest in the space area, creating new possibilities.
We also wanted to be able to develop interesting activities here in Portugal and, for example, we're going to visit a cave in Sintra, where we're going to recreate the training conditions for astronauts.
How do you explain the fact that people from so many different areas are looking for space training?
Virginia Wotring: There are many people who are interested in space because they would like to be able to make a career in this area. It's very attractive, it's developed a lot in recent years and there's room to absorb people from less obvious areas.
Is it important to talk about space with the general public?
Virginia Wotring: It's very important and at our university we take care to communicate with the general public. The truth is that we benefit here on Earth from many things that happen or are happening in space, even if only indirectly.
Is space really the last frontier?
Virginia Wotring: I don't know if it's the last frontier, but it's certainly a new frontier for us. We've already explored our globe a lot and moving outside of it, into space, is natural and the next step.
Interview with Professor Edson Oliveira
What is the importance of the Portuguese candidacy being chosen by the ISU to organize SSP22?
Edson Oliveira: The benefits are manifold. It puts Portugal on the map of the sector because this program is very broad in terms of the topics addressed, so our academic institutions, companies and research centers can show what they are developing, and new challenges may arise in the space area. Being able to collaborate with an educational institution like ISU is an honor, but above all an opportunity.
How did the possibility of presenting this module at FMUL come about?
Edson Oliveira: From the moment Portugal was selected to host this course, Portugal Space contacted us to find out if we would be available to develop any activity during the SSP. The best ones would be selected and included in the course syllabus.
Could the fact that CEMA was recently inaugurated have been decisive for this opportunity?
Edson Oliveira: Absolutely! We were able to propose a theoretical-practical module and not merely a theoretical one. According to ISU officials, this weighed heavily.
What possibilities have been created with CEMA?
Edson Oliveira: A laboratory with these characteristics is something extremely rare in Europe. We can even say that we have conditions that at the moment no European University has in this area of knowledge and this opens up a world of opportunities, in an area that is basically a niche. Being selected to collaborate in a course of this importance is an example of this. During this ISU "visit" we have already been approached for other international collaborations.
What is the importance of the theme "Human Space Exploration"?
Edson Oliveira: Because talking about space exploration in a comprehensive way implies talking about the human factor and your experience in this inhospitable environment. We cannot explore Space without knowing the modifications that our human body undergoes in this environment and understanding what the limits are.
Does the fact that Space is more accessible to the common citizen bring increased concerns?
Edson Oliveira: Absolutely. All the studies done on the physiological changes of the human body in Space were carried out on carefully selected astronauts with unique physical and psychological conditions. By democratizing access (although for now it is only for those who can afford it) it raises other concerns, namely what is the effect of common diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, etc.) in this environment. There is still a long way to go in this area.
Should there be a protocol to establish principles of who can and cannot do space travel?
Edson Oliveira: Any astronaut has to go through a series of certifications before being selected. In space tourism, we are already starting to think about standards to set limits, as not everyone will be able to travel in space, regardless of financial capacity.
Do these meetings bring together Portuguese institutions and researchers from agencies such as NASA? Do you put Portugal on the agenda?
Edson Oliveira: Networking is an inherent part of this type of event. There is a natural approach when people get to know each other and share project ideas. This gives rise to new collaborations and opportunities.
Soon we will have a citizen Portuguese in space for the first time. What is the relevance of this achievement?
Edson Oliveira: It will give relevance to this issue in civil society. It will be important for the dissemination of the sector and society to understand where we are and where we are heading in this area.
In the audience were people from various fields, but none of them from medicine. Is it more or less attractive to speak to an audience with these characteristics?
Edson Oliveira: Without a doubt, it is very attractive because it is a greater challenge. CEMA Teachers regularly collaborate with schools (within the scope of the "Space goes to School" program of the Ciência Vivia Foundation) and with CEMCA (Aerospace Medicine and Science Student Clubs) to disseminate the theme and we have to be able to pass on the message so that the audience understands what we are talking about. In this course this process is even easier because they are all people who are connected or very fond of the area, being eager to understand the various faces of the space sector, in which Medicine is only one part.
Dora Estevens Guerreiro
Editorial Team
![Share](https://www.medicina.ulisboa.pt/sites/default/files/media-icons/share.png)