Trailblazing Medicine

Looking forward to the day when astronauts depart on extended exploration missions, this assessment of the future of space medicine analyzes what is necessary to keep a crew alive in space as well as the medical challenges faced by interplanetary astronauts.

Space medicine has been an important component of the success of human spaceflight and will continue to play a critical role in the future ventures. To prepare for the day when astronauts will leave low Earth orbit for long-duration exploration missions, space medicine experts must develop a thorough understanding of the effects of microgravity on the human body, as well as ways of migrating these effects. To gain a complete understanding of the effects of space on the human body and to create the tools and technologies required for successful exploration, space medicine will become an increasingly collaborative discipline incorporating the skills of physicians, biomedical scientists, engineers, and mission planners. In this work, Dr. Erik Seedhouse examines the future of space medicine in relation to human space exploration. He describes what is necessary to keep a crew alive in space, how it will be accomplished in the future, and the medical challenges faced by interplanetary astronauts. The book is divided into three sections. The first looks at space medicine on board the ISS, where astronaut stays are often of long duration. The second section considers the Exploration Class medical dangers, beginning with radiation and the consequent Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). The final section looks at future developments and the importance of telemedicine and how revolutionary technologies will protect interplanetary astronauts from the space environment. The book ends with a description of the kind of hibernation necessary to insure the well being of interplanetary astronauts.

Examines the current and future issues concerning the health and treatment of medical conditions of people in space Describes medical selection standards for astronauts on future missions to Mars and the outer planets Discusses likely human hibernation conditions for space travelers during Exploration Class missions Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Erik Seedhouse is a Norwegian-Canadian suborbital astronaut whose life-long ambition to work in space is one step closer to being realized thanks to the organization that provided the inspiration for this book. After completing his first degree in Sports Science at Northumbria University, the author joined the legendary 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, the world's most elite airborne regiment. During his time in the "Para's," Erik spent six months in Belize, where he was trained in the art of jungle warfare and conducted several border patrols along the Belize-Guatemala border. Later, he spent several months learning the intricacies of desert warfare on the Akamas Range in Cyprus. He made more than 30 jumps from a Hercules C130 aircraft, performed more than 200 helicopter abseils, and fired more light anti-tank weapons than he cares to remember! Upon returning to the comparatively mundane world of academia, the author embarked upon a Master's degree in Medical Science at Sheffield University. He supported his studies by winning prize money in 100 km ultradistance running races. Shortly after placing third in the World 100 km Championships in 1992 and setting the North American 100 km record, the author turned to ultradistance triathlon, winning the World Endurance Triathlon Championships in 1995 and 1996. For good measure, he also won the inaugural World Double Ironman Championships in 1995 and the infamous Decatriathlon, the world's longest triathlon - an event requiring competitors to swim 38 km, cycle 1,800 km, and run 422 km. Non-stop! Returning the academia once again in 1996, Erik pursued his Ph.D. at the German Space Agency's Institute for Space Medicine. While conducting his Ph.D. studies, he still found time to win Ultraman Hawai'i and the European Ultraman Championships as well as completing the Race Across America (RAAM) bike race. Due to his success as the world's leading ultradistance triathlete, Erik was featured in dozens ofmagazines and television interviews. In 1997, GQ magazine nominated him as the "Fitted Man in the World." In 1999, Erik decided it was time to get a real job. He retired from being a professional triathlete and started his post-doctorial studies at Vancouver's Simon Fraser University's School of Kinesiology. In 2005, the author worked as an astronaut training consultant for Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas and wrote Tourists in Space, a training manual for spaceflight participants. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and a member of the Space Medical Association. Recently, he was one of the final 30 candidates of the Canadian Space Agency's Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. Erik works as a manned spaceflight consultant, professional speaker, triathlon coach, and author. He is the Training Director for Astronauts for Hire (www.astronauts4hire.org) and completed his suborbital astronaut training in May 2011. He is eligible for spaceflight assignments and plans to travel into space as an A4H astronaut on board one ore more (hopefully several!) of the commercial spacecraft written about in this book. In addition to being a suborbital astronaut, triathlete, skydiver, pilot, and author, Erik is an avid mountaineer and is currently pursuing his goal of climbing the Seven Summits. Astronauts for Hire is his ninth book. When not writing, he spend as much time as possible in Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i and at his real home in Sandefjord, Norway. Erik is owned by three rambunctious cats - Jasper, Mini-Mach, and Lava - none of whom has expressed any desire to travel into space but who nevertheless provided invaluable assistance in writing this book (!).

Klappentext

To prepare for the day when astronauts leave low-Earth orbit for long-duration exploration missions, space medicine experts must develop a thorough understanding of the effects of microgravity on the human body, as well as ways of mitigating them. To gain a complete understanding of the effects of space on the human body and to create tools and technologies required for successful exploration, space medicince will become an increasingly collaborative discipline incorporating the skills of physicians, biomedical scientists, engineers, and mission planners.

Trailblazing Medicine

• examines the future of space medicine in relation to human space exploration;
• describes what is necessary to keep a crew alive in space, including the use of surgical robots, surface-based telemedicine, and remote emergency care;
• discusses bioethical problems such as euthanasia, sex, and precautionary surgery;
• investigates the medical challenges faced by interplanetary astronauts;
• details the process of human hibernation.

Inhalt

Preface.- Acknowledgements.- About the Author.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- List of Panels.- List of abbreviations and acronyms.- Section I: Space Medicine.- Chapter 1: Medicine onboard the International Space Station.- Chapter 2: Interplanetary health care.- Chapter 3: Medical qualification for exploration class missions.- Section II: Exploration Class Medical Challenges.- Chapter 4: Radiation.- Chapter 5: Bone Loss.- Chapter 6: Behavior and performance.- Section III: Future Developments.- Chapter 7: Bioethics, sex, and cloning.- Chapter 8: Robotic surgery and telemedicine.- Chapter 9: Stasis.- Appendix: The Interplanetary Bioethics Manual.- Index.