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The opportunity for Health and Life Science Innovation Why Space? Section 44:Educational opportunities for bioscience students in experiment development for International Space Station science payloads.

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The cost of sending an experiment to the International Space Station (ISS) has historically prevented any but the most well-funded of UK laboratories from sending bioscience experiments to space. Simplified design and reduced costs to launch has initiated a revolution that now enables significantly enhanced access to space for bioscience students in the UK. Within the Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences at King’s College London, the Keeble research group offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates to develop experiments for launch to the ISS. The experiments the students develop cover a range of research disciplines ranging from protein activity studies to applied physiology on small organisms such as Daphnia or earthworms. By exposing undergraduate students to the challenges and rewards of developing experiments for spaceflight this group acts to empower the young scientists who will be central to the UK’s long-term ambitions in space
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The opportunity for Health
and Life Science Innovation
Why Space?
This report was prepared by the UK Space Life and Biomedical Sciences Association
2 3
Contents
Acknowledgements 4
Executive summary 5
Why Space for the Health & Life Science Sector? 6
Key Recommendations 7
Opportunity and alignment to National and International roadmaps 8
Access to the Space environment and Low Earth Orbit: What are the opportunities 10
What is the opportunity for Health and Life Sciences Innovation? 14
Thematic Chapter: Life Science 15
Thematic Chapter: Human Factors, Psychology & Neuroscience 20
Thematic Chapter: Bio-Medical and clinical considerations 25
Thematic Chapter: Engineering, Robotics, data and AI 32
Thematic Chapter: Education & Knowledge Exchange 36
Summary: Bridging the Gap between existing capabilities and the access to opportunities to
benet the UK 40
Making the case for Why Space? The opportunity for Health & Life Science Innovation:
Collection of all authored contributions 44
AI - Articial Intelligence
ARIA - Advanced Research & Invention Agency
CAA - Civil Aviation Authority
CNES - Centre national d'études spatiales [CNES] | French government space agency
DLR - Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [DLR] | German Space Agency at DLR
EAC - European Astronaut Centre
ESA - European Space Agency
EVA - Extravehicular activity
ISS - International Space Station
LEO - Low Earth Orbit
MOD - Ministry of Defence
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NHS - National Health Service
NIHR - National Institute for Health Research
R&D - Research & Development
UKRI - UK Research & Innovation
UK Space LABS - UK Space Life & Biomedical Science Association
Abbreviations
4 5
This report has been co-developed with the help of the Health & Life Sciences and Space R&D
community, to outline the opportunity for the UK’s Health and Life Science Sector for engaging with
the Space Sector. Our thanks go to all the authors and institutions who contributed to the paper.
Spearheaded by the research association, UK Space LABS (UK Space Life and Biomedical Science
Association), our enormous appreciation goes to the membership and the current and previous
executive committees for helping shape the community and drive this sector interface over the years.
An independent board from both the Health & Life Sciences and the Space Sectors was convened to
advise the working group and review the submission and review process. Our thanks go to Professor
Hagan Bayley (University of Oxford), Dr Tim Etheridge (University of Exeter), Libby Jackson (UK Space
Agency), Dr Michael Adeogun (National Physical Laboratory), Dr Barbara Ghinelli (UKRI-STFC) and Dr
Noriane Simon (UKRI-BBSRC).
This report was prepared by a working group of volunteers drawn from the 2020/21
executive committee of UK Space LABS:-
Acknowledgements
Professor Kate
Robson-Brown
University of Bristol
King’s College London
University of Birmingham
NHS Trust
Science and Technology
Facilities Council - UKRI
Solent University
Southampton
University of Manchester
Dr Peter D Hodkinson
Associate Professor
Adam Hawkey
Dr Rochelle Velho
Dr Nathan Smith
Dr Philip Carvil
Why space? From unlocking the secrets of the universe to improving the understanding of our own
homeworld, the benets that the utilisation of space brings are only just being realised. This is
particularly true for industry sectors, which are becoming growing ‘users’ of space including the
Health & Life Sciences sector. This paper brings voices from within the Health & Life Science Sector
and the Space Sector together to ask what are the possibilities of space? How can these be realised?
What could this mean for our future?
Advances in remote monitoring are already providing information on disease outbreaks & natural
disasters to aid response management. Growing ubiquitous connectivity is better enabling the
provision of health management particularly in remote locations and utilisation of earth observation
techniques are helping inform farming practices. These are just a few examples of how existing space
assets are being used to support life on Earth.
Platforms ranging from small satellites (e.g. cube-sats) in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), to dedicated
laboratories on the International Space Station (ISS) are being utilised to advance our understanding
of how certain fundamental processes adapt outside of our home environment. Studying how plants
can create root structures in the absence of Earth’s gravity to radiation eects on biological systems,
are helping us understand not just how to enhance life on Earth, but also to provide the tools and
knowledge for humanity's next age of exploration.
Through an open call process this paper has gathered >50 authored contributions from across the
research community to help broaden our horizons of the still untapped potential for cross-sector
innovation. As the global community seeks to recover post covid-19, the opportunity to galvanise our
proven excellence in health and life sciences, and the strong investments in developing sovereign
space launch capability, could ultimately become a powerful catalyst for future innovation and
strengthen existing global ties.
Without the right funding, infrastructure, relationships and agreements, it is challenging for UK
scientists to develop and sustain long-term research programmes in collaboration with the
international agencies, principally ESA, and other commercial partners. Thematic chapters and
underpinning individual author contributions highlight the need for bridging mechanisms between
capability and access to overcome the barriers to doing space-related research for both exploration
and terrestrial benet.
The recommendations outlined in this paper draw from these diverse inputs to address the current
challenges faced by this sector. From life science and human factors, to biomedical, AI and education
there are key steps which can help facilitate the unlocking of this potential. Beyond dedicated
funding, facilitated community building and knowledge exchange centres will be paramount to
ensure a joined up and collaborative exploitation of this cross-sector interface, which can raise the
UK’s prole on the International stage. This paper is one of these steps and over time it could
become an exercise to take stock, reect on what other opportunities are on the horizon and create
new R&D connections.
Beyond the Health and Life Sciences will be other sectoral opportunities, including in energy,
materials chemicals and more. This paper provides a potential blueprint for these areas to explore
their own ‘Why Space’ journey to ensure that the existing excellence in research is harnessed, cross-
sector ideation is championed and new collaborative opportunities for innovation are fostered.
Professor Kate Robson-Brown
Chair: UK Space LABS
Dr Philip Carvil
Coordinator: UK Space LABS
Executive summary
Please note that aliations to organisations mentioned above and in quotes and contributions throughout, do not necessarily
represent an ocial endorsement/stance from these organisations of this paper or its recommendations.
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In order to harness the interface between the Space and the Health & Life Science Sectors to
foster new research, innovation and translational activities, this report makes six
recommendations:-
Harness the innovation opportunity from existing research portfolios: Establish
dedicated funding pilots with funders of Health and Life science research, in order to galvanise
existing scientic capital on translational activities with space. For example, following the 2020
UKRI deep dive into space research funding, the establishment of a cross-UKRI Space working
group, provides an opportunity to consider how funding in this area might be better supported
and extended to include space related Health & Life Science research.
Create a proof of concept/ catalyst program for Industry: To de-risk industrial R&D,
facilitate the growth of the market opportunity and the commercialisation activity with space, a
catalyst-like programme is recommended to drive an innovation pipeline. This would in turn
stimulate the UK’s launch and provider network, working with the UK Space Agency, by growing a
sustainable customer base.
Fund high-risk high-reward thematic centres: In keeping with the UK Government's renewed
interest in high-risk, high-reward research and innovation and inspired by the success of NASA's
Translational Research Institute for Space Health, set up at least three UK challenge-led R&D
centres. These would provide opportunities to support Government priorities to deliver an R&D
based future economy, contributing to the UK's position as a science superpower and in line with
ambitions articulated in the creation of the Advanced Research & Invention Agency.
Inspire careers in the Health & Life Sciences: The development of educational programs and
outreach opportunities to promote new and existing career pathways in the Health and Life
Sciences, particularly those associated with the Space Sector, should be pursued. It is envisioned
that these activities will further encourage and enthuse the next generation of scientists,
engineers, teachers, healthcare professionals, and astronauts.
Establish a dedicated knowledge exchange infrastructure: This would enable knowledge
exchange activities at various stages, from early research through to potential commercial and
industry applications. This will support engagement with a broad customer base who might
benet from accessing knowledge in relation to space economies and terrestrial benet, which
can help to grow the customer base for future space and lunar economies.
Join the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG): Currently several of
the major international space agencies (Including NASA, ESA, DLR etc) sit on the ISLWG. By
lobbying for the UK Space Agency to join this group, this will raise the UK’s International Prole,
connect its global leading expertise in Health and Life science research and foster other
opportunities to enhance our representation with international groups, future exploration
activities and roadmaps.
Key RecommendationsWhy Space for the Health & Life Science
Sector?
“For some years now it has been recognised that distinct and
signicant synergistic benet can be accrued from a strong
relationship between the elds of terrestrial healthcare and
space life and biomedical sciences. This paper highlights and
provides valuable evidence of this fact, and indeed acts as a
signpost for directions the UK is ideally suited to travel, and
which could provide broad societal benet if pursued."
Simon Evetts
Blue Abyss R&D Director
Visiting Professor Northumbria University
Co-founder UK Space LABS
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The UK is a world leader in both the Space (particularly satellite systems and telecommunications),
and Health and Life Sciences Sectors, which creates a unique opportunity to better understand and
grow this powerful intersection¹.
From companies in the UK developing new imaging methods derived from space technology ² to
using satellite applications to support drone delivery of Covid-19 testing kits ³ the impact of space
upon health and life science innovation is already occurring.
With the UK building its space launch capacity, growing the launch provider ecosystem as well as its
continued commitment of investment in the European Space Agency, the opportunity to utilise space
infrastructure (including low earth orbit) and technology is set to grow.
In order to capitalise on this R&D opportunity and the growing commercial ecosystem (including
tourism),it requires an understanding of how access to this unique environment can facilitate
programmes of excellent basic science, as well as support government ambitions in developing the
UK’s world leading research and innovation system and global collaborations.
Alignment to existing UK Research & Innovation Strategy
One of the last UK strategy documents pertaining to UK involvement in life and biomedical sciences
related to human space ight was released in July 2015, titled “National strategy: space environments
and human spaceight”. Much has changed in the UK and internationally since that document was
released, along with the recent developments of several strands of relevant activity including:-
1. UK Research and Development Roadmap
2. The upcoming UK Space Strategy & Defense Space
3. Consultation on spaceport and spaceight activities including commercial spaceight ⁴
Now is the ideal time to revisit this topic. UK participation in ESA’s SciSpace, UK Space Agency
agreements with regard to the Artemis programme, ESA human spaceflight activities and LaunchUK
ambitions for UK spaceplanes by 2040 all indicate multiple areas in which the UK could play a leading
role with regard to health and life sciences research, skills expertise and innovation.
This requires a fresh review of this area in the UK to map an ambitious and connected strategy for
how these sectors could inform and enable UK Government and industry to achieve their priorities
with regard to commercial markets and international human space exploration endeavours along
with benefits to terrestrial healthcare and life sciences which connect to the existing places of
innovation excellence in the UK.
Reflections on the UK Government Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap ⁵
Published on the 1st of July 2020 this policy paper sets out the UK government’s vision and ambition
for science, research and innovation and starts the conversation on how the UK can build on its R&D
strengths and work to increase UK investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. By working to
increase the interplay between the UK’s leading strengths in Health and Life Science Sector and the
Space Sector this roadmap aligns by:-
Supporting the development, demonstration and deployment of new technologies and solutions
towards commercial success or practical application
Acknowledging that all academic disciplines contribute to the vigour of the research endeavour
and asking how we can remove barriers to interdisciplinary research
Diversify the way discovery research is funded to enable researchers to embrace the cutting-edge
techniques and approaches, this could look at low earth orbit access
Delivering ‘moonshot’ ambitions which can inspire both further research and the public. This
aligns with the development of high-risk, high reward infrastructures with the creation of the
Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA)
ESA: Roadmaps for Future Research
Following consultations in 2016, the European Space Agency published its strategic goals to shape
the future research programme of the agency. Comprising ten roadmaps in total, topics include
Cosmic radiation risks for human exploration to astrobiology. Teams of international researchers
(including from the UK) played a fundamental role shaping these key strategic requirements. With this
exercise being refreshed in 2020 and due for publication in 2021, it will be important to use these
roadmaps to support national and international collaborations that could fuel space exploration
related R&D, as well as to elucidate the potential for translational terrestrial research. In the following
sections, the opportunity for accessing the space environment including low earth orbit is discussed
with case examples from existing and future operations.
Opportunity and alignment to National and
International roadmaps
¹ Erica Argueta C|NET: Space medicine isn't just for astronauts. It's for all of us
https://www.cnet.com/ features/space-medicine-isnt-just-for-astronauts-its-for-all-of-us/
² Press Release UK Space Agency 8th April 2019:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stargazing-technology-used-to-spot-cancer
³ Press Release UK Space Agency 10th July 2020:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/space-agency-backs-space-enabled-drones-to-deliver-covid-19-testing-kits
⁴ Spaceport and spaceflight activities: regulations and guidance -
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/spaceport-and-spaceflight-activities-regulations-and-guidance
⁵ UK Goverment R&D Roadmap 1st July 2020 -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-research-and-development-roadmap/uk-research-and-development-roadmap
⁶ Roadmaps for Future Research – European Space Agency
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/SciSpacE_Roadmaps.pdf
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For many years, Health and Life Science researchers have been utilising platforms both in orbit and
on Earth to conduct fundamental research. The ESA Erasmus archives alone list >4000 funded and/or
co-founded experiments, with nearly 600 of these just in the eld of Human physiology ⁷ with
examples including investigating how plants adapt in microgravity ⁸ providing valuable insights to
support future exploration activities. Analogue environments (such as Concordia in Antarctica and Hi-
SEAS in Hawaii) and platforms (such as bed-rest studies, centrifuges and Clinostats/3D Clinostats)
have also been developed a on Earth to help researchers understand environmental eects and in
some instances develop countermeasures to support human exploration activities. These
opportunities have been utilised by both established research groups in the UK, as well as students
through dedicated education initiatives (such as Spin, Drop, Orbit and Fly your Thesis from the
European Space Agency, where UK based teams can also receive additional support from the UK
Space Agency). With the increase in ight opportunities through the development of new commercial
launch and service providers, previous barriers around access will be less prohibitive enabling more
research groups to expand fundamental and discovery research and through appropriate funding
and support, grow innovation opportunities with the Space sector.
Intrinsically tied to fundamental and discovery research, there are a number of mechanisms, both in
operation and being established to support commercial exploitation of the Space Sector. For
example the UK for over 10 years has hosted (through the Science & Technology Facilities Council,
part of UK Research and Innovation) dedicated funded structures from ESA to facilitate space-related
business incubation; ESA BIC UK ⁹, which has supported ~100 businesses including a number of
cross-sector enterprises such as Entocycle and Crover. Downstream utilisation of space assets, for
example satellite positioning and earth observation continue to see strong commercial development.
Government funded infrastructures including the Catapult network (in particular the Satellite
Application Catapult) and the Knowledge Transfer Network are already actively supporting the
commercial development opportunity for space, working across multiple sectorial areas from in-orbit
manufacturing and energy to health and life science. In 2020 the UK Space Agency supported the
further development of space clusters across the entire UK building on the strength of the proven
cluster model in stimulating intra and cross-sector activity, including between the Space Sector and
the Health & Life Science Sectors for industry ¹⁰. With future ambitions from the European Space
Agency to grow a sustainable low earth orbit and future lunar economy through its plans for a
Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN) ¹¹ and the UK’s drive to grow a diverse and ambitious
space economy, there is an opportunity working with these existing infrastructures to further
augment cross-sector connection and collaboration through supporting fundamental and
translational research programmes, thereby creating a sustainable pipeline for our growing provider
and launch ecosystem.
With an increasing number of potential launch providers, including Virgin Orbit, Skyrora, SpaceX, Blue
Origin, Swedish Space Consortium, Orbex and microgravity platform providers including Airbus
(Bartolomeo), Kayser Space, B2Space and Ice Cubes, there are more opportunities for health and life
science researchers in the UK to utilise these growing space based platforms as well as Terrestrial
analogues to conduct experiments. Below are two viewpoints from current and future providers.
Access to the Space environment and Low
Earth Orbit: What are the opportunities
⁷ ESA ERASMUS Archive
https://eea.spaceflight.esa.int/portal/
⁸ A decade of Plant Biology in Space
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/A_decade_of_plant_biology_in_space
⁹ ESA Business Incubation Centre UK
https://stfc.ukri.org/innovation/our-facilities-and-services/european-space-agency-business-incubation-centre-uk/
¹⁰ UKR-STFC Proof of Concept Programme -
https://www.harwellcampus.com/news/harwell-campus-proof-of-concept-programme/
¹¹ ESA Business in Space Growth Network -
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Business_Opportunities/Commercial_Opportunities_for_Space_Exploration
COMMERCIAL SERVICES – FAST-TRACK ACCESS TO
MICROGRAVITY
Dr Ramón Nartallo, Kayser Space Ltd.
Overview
Gaining access to microgravity facilities to perform experiments relevant to Biology, Medicine,
Biochemistry, etc., is key to understanding the phenomena behind observed eects. This has
traditionally required competing for space agency funding and ight opportunities; those
successful, often waiting years for custom hardware to be designed, manufactured, space
qualied and own into space. Through the Bioreactor Express commercial service, Kayser is
able to fast-track the development of customer experimental hardware and its deployment in
the International Space Station (ISS). Working in collaboration with ESA, Bioreactor Express
uses scheduled ISS-bound launches and provides exclusive access to the KUBIK incubator.
Building on experimental hardware developed by Kayser for the successful ESA BIOROCK
mission, the Bioreactor Express service was kicked-o with the BioAsteroid mission, a
University of Edinburgh funded bio-mining experiment completed within a calendar year, that
ew to the ISS with SpaceX-21 in December 2020. The automatic culturing devices were
incubated in the KUBIK ISS facility for three weeks, allowing bacteria to grow on a substrate of
biocompatible meteoritic material. The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on
January 14th 2021. At least two other commercially funded experiments are scheduled with
Bioreactor Express in upcoming SpaceX ights to the ISS.
Opportunity
Through the current government investment in space ports, and the existing industry-leading
manufacturers of small satellites and launch systems, the UK is uniquely placed to lead the
commercialisation of access to space. With its own UK base, Kayser specialises in the
development of bio-incubators for space applications: hand sized laboratories equipped with
electronics and mechanical parts that execute experimental protocols automatically, allowing
for the growth, treatment and xation of biological specimens cultured in microgravity. For us
to be able to run a viable commercial service, the provision of life science experimental
hardware needs to become more agile, standardised and much cheaper and quicker to
implement. A market analysis and business plan based on actual demand for experiments on
the ISS, shows that a viable commercial service such as Bioreactor Express will start to turn a
prot within three years of operations. This is after taking into account the necessary initial
investment in hardware devices and containers, that could be easily adapted to dierent life
science experiments and own multiple times. This approach removes the large costs and
long lead times associated with hardware design, manufacture and qualication, thus making
access to the microgravity environment aordable and fast.
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Following this approach, Kayser is currently working
with The Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial
College London on the denition of three separate
cancer research related experiments, where
microgravity can provide a signicant advantage. In all
three cases, we are looking to dene experiments that
can be technically implemented by exploiting and/or
adapting existing bioincubator technologies.
Going forward, Kayser, in collaboration with several
leading UK universities, is embarking on a programme
to develop sensors for bioreactors that would enable a
range of in-situ analysis and monitoring activities of live
samples, thus removing the requirement for samples
to be brought back to Earth. These advances would enable the deployment of fully
autonomous bioreactor systems on other platforms (e.g. cubesats) and environments (such
as the lunar surface or Mars) where sample return is not feasible.
Looking further ahead, Kayser has been selected by ESA as a “sub-aggregator” of commercial
payloads for the Space Rider platform and there are similar commercial prospects for the
future space Gateway. The KUBIK facility itself could be adapted to other Low Earth Orbit
platforms that are under development to exploit the post-ISS era, such as Dreamchaser or
the Dragon Orbital Capsule. The Bioreactor Express service itself will be extended through the
development of experiment hardware with built-in sensors for deployment in external space
platforms and free-ying cubesats.
Image Courtesy of Kayser Space: Astronaut
Michael Scott Hopkins performs the insertion
of the BioAsteroid experiment containers in
KUBIK. Credits: ESA/NASA
In the following section this paper will discuss the opportunity as observed from a cross- section of
the Health and Life Science and Space Community.
Dedicated Return: The Opportunity for Health and Life
Sciences O-ISS
Joshua Western, CEO, Space Forge
Overview
The benets of conducting health and life science experiments in space have long been
observed. The combined vacuum and microgravity environment, which cannot be replicated
on Earth, have ensured space remains an environment where pharmaceutical, virological and
pathological discoveries, treatments and potential cures can be accelerated. Since the
inauguration of the International Space Station, the opportunities to access the space
environment have grown immensely. From ESA experiments in nanoparticles to replace
traditional antioxidants to commercial R&D from pharmaceutical companies such as Merck
seeking to improve cancer drug delivery.
The ability to access the ISS for life science experiments can come in many forms - though
national and commercial space entities. To a greater or lesser extent, all these platforms:
Use shared infrastructure which can be subject to political interests
Balance competing and often conicting payload requirements
Take up to 5 years for experiment approval
Have long lead times to experiment commencement
Have issues with achievable cleanliness and disruptions to microgravity from frequent
maneuvers and dockings
Oer limited ability for experiment return and the few vehicles that can return have hard
landings
Space Forge is developing a platform for health and life science experimentation to overcome
these barriers.
Opportunity
Low cost access to space, and the relative ease in which the environment can be exploited
through the ISS and small satellites have fueled a new era of the space economy coupled with
innovation. However, the missing lynchpin of a sustainable in-space ecosystem for research
and development, is return. The opportunities to return from space are few and far between.
They primarily rely on coming back from the ISS with solutions such as Dragon or Soyuz. ISS
Capsules like Dragon only come back between 4-6 times a year, are dicult to access for
commercial entities or small research platforms (astronaut constraints, national experiments
etc.) and return at a highly accelerated G-load ending in a high shock impact as they land on
Earth. A return solution which can oer gentle de-orbit and touchdown, coupled with
extended stays in space o-ISS to access a superior space environment would unlock new
H&LS applications and R&D opportunities.
Space Forge is developing the ForgeStar suite of platforms. These platforms are deployed on
a conventional launch to a minimum orbit of 500km for dedicated experimentation and R&D
for individual customers. Our platform is designed to stay in space for any time ranging from
10 days to 6 months, when a precision commanded return is initiated. The ForgeStar suite will
oer payload capacity from 3kg to 75kg. The ForgeStar can overcome the barriers and issues
associated with accessing the ISS:
Oer a dedicated platform for H&LS dedicated to a single user.
Be compliant with BSL2+ research.
Return on demand, preserving experiment integrity.
Compatible with a range of applications such as uid dynamics, protein crystallisation and
lunar/planetary gravity simulation.
Oer regular ight opportunities throughout the year.
Space Forge is transforming how health and life sciences can leverage the space
environment for research and development. Our ight opportunities commence in 2022.
14 15
There is signicant opportunity for space health and life sciences innovation in the UK. This is
illustrated by both the breadth and depth of existing expertise across a range of disciplinary areas
captured in each of the following thematic chapters. Each of the chapters was informed by a rigorous
scoping and data capture exercise.
Method
At the onset of paper development, two space health and life science community workshops were
held at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in 2018 and March 2020. These workshops were
attended by government, industry, clinical and academic stakeholders, oering an insight into current
space biomedical R&D in the UK and outputs translatable to terrestrial needs.
Following the workshops, surveys and one-on-one interviews were conducted to understand existing
capability in more detail, gather wider thoughts and inputs with regard to driving innovation, and to
develop the community network within the dierent space health and life science sectors.
Subsequent to these activities, and based on the feedback we received from the community, a
skeleton position paper was proposed and distributed in the summer of 2020. At that point, the
community was invited to contribute structured abstracts detailing expertise and capability, applied
case experiences of prior or planned work related to space, and recommendations for enabling this
work. After an initial peer-review activity by the paper authors and steering board, a second call for
abstracts was launched at the UK Space LABS workshop in November 2020. At this point, additional
experts were contacted to secure input if they had not already contributed.
In total, we received over 50 contributions covering a range of topics. This included contributions
from academia (N = 43), clinical (N=4) industry (N = 6) and public sector (N = 1).
After a further review and author revisions, a synthesis activity was conducted and abstracts assigned
to the following thematic areas:
Life Science
Human Factors, Psychology & Neuroscience
Bio-Medical and clinical considerations
Engineering, Robotics, Data and AI
Education and Knowledge Exchange
Each thematic chapter collated the inputs and themes from the contributions received. While many
contributions can cross multiple themes, for clarity they have been mentioned in the most aligned
thematic chapter and readers are encouraged to read the full list of contributors on page 44. We
would like to thank and acknowledge each of the contributors for their expert insights.
This chapter is a synthesis of authored contributions from:
[Pg. 92] - Angeles Hueso-Gil, Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro - Imperial College London, UK
[Pg. 121] - Charles Cockell & Rosa Santomartino - University of Edinburgh, UK
[Pg. 56] - Daniel Campbell - SpacePharma Limitedv
[Pg. 85] - Franklin L Nobrega - University of Southampton, UK
[Pg. 119] - Giovanni Sena - Imperial College London
[Pg. 113] - Giuseppe Schettino - National Physical Laboratory1 & University of Surrey
[Pg. 80] - Hagan Bayley - University of Oxford, UK
[Pg. 86] - Li Shean Toh - University of Nottingham, UK
[Pg. 63] - Matthew P. Davey - Scottish Association for Marine Science UK; Alison G. Smith, Payam
Mehrshahi - University of Cambridge, UK; Ellen Harrison - University of Cambridge, UK & SCK CEN,
Belgium; Felice Mastroleo & Natalie Leys - SCK CEN, Belgium
[Pg. 103] - Miguel Ferreira, Susan Kimber, Marco Domingos - The University of Manchester
[Pg. 90] - Paul Arkell, Ravi Mehta, Richard Wilson, Jesus Rodriguez-Manzano, Pantelis Georgiou, Tony
Cass, Danny O’Hare, Alison Holmes - Imperial College London, UK
[Pg. 67] - Timothy Etheridge University of Exeter, UK; Nathaniel J. Szewczyk - University of
Nottingham, UK
[Pg. 100] - Willian Abraham da Silveira - Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Overview
Over the past few decades, a considerable number of life science experiments have been undertaken
with the space sector. This research has ranged from fundamental research to commercial
applications. The opportunity for the life science sector to utilise the unique microgravity as well as
the radiation environment in space to undertake R&D continues to grow, with current and future
launch providers (e.g. Virgin Orbit, Lockheed Martin, SpaceForge) and integrated service operators
(e.g. Kayser Space, Ice Cubes, SpacePharma) increasing the capacity and availability for payloads.
Coupled with the greater availability for life science experiments vs. those using human trials to utilise
facilities and equipment on Earth to simulate these conditions (e.g. Drop Towers, Centrifuges,
Clinostats etc) there is a considerable opportunity for the UK to strengthen its existing utilisation and
cross-sector activity with the space sector (and aligned facilities) to drive new research and innovation
What is the opportunity for Health and Life
Sciences Innovation?
Thematic Chapter: Life Science
Edited by: Dr Philip Carvil - & Professor Kate Robson-Brown - University of Bristol, UK
16 17
in the life sciences.
UK Researchers have already actively participated in the strategic initiatives including the Roadmaps
for Future research for the European Space Agency ¹², inputting into key considerations from
supporting human habitation in hostile environments to understanding the impact of Gravity on
biological processes, cells and organisms. The UK’s upcoming rst national payload to the
International Space Station, the Molecular Muscle Experiment 2, also builds on numerous biological
UK experiments, with researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Nottingham using the small
worm C. elegans, to understand the molecular causes of negative health changes in space, and the
ecacy of novel drug and genetic treatments. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh, working
with Kayser Space, ew the rst commercial science experiment (BioAsteroid) from the UK to the ISS,
to study interactions of microbes with rocks under the BioReactor Express programme. These
experiments led to the development of a new bioreactor that can be used to carry out cell growth
experiments of any kind in space.
With increasing commitments from both global governments as well as private companies in the
coming decades to colonise space and nearby bodies (e.g. Lunar and Mars), there is still critical
fundamental R&D to be done. From developing sustainable medical resources and processes
(including tissue repair, infection management and supporting drug developments), understanding
and developing improved countermeasures for diverse radiation environments to investigate and
grow a supportive and diverse ecosystem (from bacteria and microorganisms to plants) that can
enable life to thrive outside of Earth. Investing in these activities can also spawn new developments
and commercial applications on Earth. The utilisation of microgravity environments have already
supported the understanding of how to improve processes for drug delivery of large biologics. This
unique environment could support novel developments for global issues, from tackling the anti-
microbial crisis, to advancing the elds of precision medicine and improving the resilience of species
to live in hostile environments. With examples of the UK’s globally leading life science expertise (some
represented in this chapter) there is an opportunity to support the exploration of space to drive new
research and innovation in areas of existing strength.
Case Experiences
The UK has leading expertise and capabilities represented in a number of the contributed case
experiences (some already mentioned), from radiobiology and tissue engineering to biotechnology
and pharmaceutical research, including a number of active space life science research projects:
Researchers at the University of Cambridge, together with colleagues at the Scottish Association
for Marine Science and SCK CEN in Belgium are carrying out fundamental studies, funded by the
ESA MELiSSA POMP programme, on algal-bacterial communities and how these can be used to
produce a source of vitamin B12, essential for crew health during long term space ight.
In the eld of Plant Biology, researchers at Imperial College London are currently developing 3D-
printed, hydrogel-based, support systems to grow plant roots in soil-less and μg conditions. This
is investigating how to control the development and branching of the root system even in
absence of gravity with plans to collaborate with ESA or NASA to test the system on the ISS in μg.
Researchers at the University of Southampton are looking at the potential use of
(bacterio)phages as an alternative to antibiotics for treating space infections due to their high
specicity and potential to help astronauts maintain a healthy microbiota on long-duration space
travels.
In the eld of Astrobiology, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have own several space-
related missions. For instance the ESA BioRock experiment was the rst experiment to
demonstrate the possibility of biological mining in space on the ISS.
The company SpacePharma’s UK-based operations have been leveraging its remote controlled
miniaturised microgravity platforms, providing lab on chip testing environments in space to
support experimental payloads including collaborating with Prof Lee Cronin at the University of
Glasgow’s group trialling the eld of digital chemistry in space for the rst time.
In the eld of Astropharmacy, researchers at the University of Nottingham have been funded by
the UK Space Agency to investigate how medication management, research, policy and pharmacy
practice could work in space and have also been working with NASA regarding regulatory and
licensing issues for on-demand manufacturing particularly related to
3-d printed medication.
In omics research, the UK already has signicant expertise and
infrastructure to assume a leadership role on Space Omics research,
attracting both the funding to set up and co-found the European
Space Agency’s ESA topical team which has strong representation
from UK Researchers, including at the University of Exeter,
Nottingham, Cambridge, University College London, King's College
London and Queen’s University Belfast.
To support space exploration there are a number of translational
capabilities from research active groups that could address future
exploration needs, but also drive further fundamental R&D terrestrially.
Over the years a number of tissue engineering projects have been
conducted in space to look at cell behaviour and investigate the possibility of complex tissue
manufacturing in space. At the University of Oxford, fundamental research into fabricated
synthetic and living tissues (including neural) is being undertaken to support emerging medical
therapies, which hold great potential to support sustainable human exploration. Researchers at
the University of Manchester have been investigating how tissue engineering and bio-printing
could be undertaken on Earth but also space environments.
At the Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation at Imperial College London, researchers aim to
develop technologies which can optimise the management of infection, improve patient
outcomes, and reduce the development of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This could support the
development of rapid diagnostic solutions to tackle
AME at point of care and clinical decision support
systems which builds on previous work by UK research
groups conducted in space investigating microbiome
and infection treatment solutions.
Researchers form the National Physical laboratory
have considerable experience in both the
development of aligned facilities and investigating the
eects of ionizing radiation (often used in clinical
settings) on cells and tissues. These types of facilities have been used by international space
agencies including NASA to elucidate the eects of space radiation on both human models and
¹² Roadmaps for Future Research – European Space Agency
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/SciSpacE_Roadmaps.pdf
Images above courtesy of SpacePharma.of the DIDO-3
cubesat platform (above) and the SpacePharma Advanced Lab (SPAd) platform for the ISS
Credit - SpacePharma
18 19
broader biological samples for risk modelling future space missions and understanding
protective mechanisms.
Overcoming Challenges
Within the contributions there were a number of challenges highlighted, which could present
opportunities for addressing.
Growing access and awareness of platforms: A number of groups highlighted that access to and
research capacity to undertake R&D on the ISS has increased in recent years, but there is still a need
to further develop the opportunities for ight models and platforms (such as parabolic ights) to
increase capacity for science experiments, particularly when looking to have sight of pipeline
opportunities from fundamental research to industrial application.
With the UK building its own launch capability this could become a key market area for the UK to
leverage and support its world leading Life Science expertise to drive new R&D and industry
partnerships and utilise this growing launch capacity. This would also facilitate focus on deep space
platforms and aligned life science discovery.
Research Funding: A number of the groups also mentioned there was no dedicated funding,
particularly in the proof of concept stage, for exploring the interface between these leading assets in
life science and space, which is limiting the potential growth of these emerging areas (such as
astropharmacy) and our future ability to cultivate long term international and commercial
partnerships, particularly with launch providers.
The opportunity for funders to explore how through working with the space sector, this could
stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations would support cross-sector knowledge transfer,
optimise terrestrial benets and drive exploration research.
Dedicated Coordination: Given the excellent and diverse leading UK capabilities in Life Science
(from omics and antimicrobial resistance, to tissue engineering and radiobiology) that have
highlighted potential for further R&D utilising the space sector there is a need to develop
infrastructure to support the coordinated engagement with these teams and the space sector. This
would optimise outputs, support long term coordination and sight of pipeline opportunities which in
turn would lead to potential novel methodologies being developed and supporting standards being
developed to ensure R&D can be developed in a reproducible and scalable manner.
Skills: An opportunity (discussed further in the thematic chapter on education, page 36) was how
through using space research applied to the life sciences this could inspire and stimulate the
attraction into STEM careers and interdisciplinary learning.
Driving Research and innovation
From changes in physical properties to alterations in certain processes, the unique space
environment impacts across a wide variety of underpinning factors that could facilitate new
understandings and developments in life science, that could support human space exploration as
well hold the potential to revolutionise existing processes on Earth. Because of this breadth,
contributors highlight the need for greater coordination, dedicated funding and facilitation
mechanisms that can stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations. These collaborations could underpin
global space exploration activities, while also supporting the terrestrial exploitation of discoveries to
drive new commercial applications and innovation in key sectors of UK Strength, including in
precision medicine, radiation biology, agriculture, industrial bio production and pharmaceutical
settings.
Working with commercial entities (such as large pharmaceutical players) also oers an opportunity
for the research and innovation community to drive challenge led sponsored programmes and
increase R&D investment. Through co-development with government organisations, from the UK
Space Agency and national funders like UKRI and NIHR to regulators, there exists the opportunity to
develop future innovation pipelines, while de-risking the UK’s expansion of space exploration
activities and continuing to increase and diversify future investment prospects.
Images courtesy of Charles Cockell - University of Edinburgh
R: Image of the bioreactors being installed into the KUBIK centrifuges on ISS by Luca Parmitano - Credit: ESA
L: Image of Biofilm growing on rock for the BioRock experiment - Credit: Rosa Santomartino
“UK work in space life sciences allows us to contribute the
exploration of space, but also to derive solutions to many
Earth-based problems. For example, Microbes are
pervasive in our industrial processes and health. By
investigating them in space we are placing the UK at the
forefront of space life sciences with its benets to long term
space exploration and for solving terrestrial life sciences
challenges”.
Professor Charles Cockell - University of Edinburgh
20 21
This chapter is a synthesis of authored contributions from:
[Pg 52] - Diana Catherwood & Graham Edgar, University of Gloucestershire, UK
[Pg 115] - Elisa Ferre, Royal Holloway University, UK
[Pg 57] - Iya Whiteley, University College London, UK
[Pg 114] - Laurence Alison, University of Liverpool, UK & Neil Shortland, University of Massachusetts,
USA
[Pg 66] - Maria Stokes, University of Southampton, UK
[Pg 120] - Marjan Colleti, University College London, UK
[Pg 81] - Nathan Smith, University of Manchester, UK
Overview
Human factors, psychology and neuroscience have an important role within the broader life and
biomedical sciences. In the context of spaceight, knowledge of and contributions from these areas
can positively impact upon the safety, health and wellbeing, and performance of astronauts and
cosmonauts as well as those working in operational roles such as in mission control. Research
stemming from studies of human factors, psychology and neuroscience can potentially be applied at
all phases of space operations, from habitat design, mission planning, assessment and selection of
personnel, training, pre-mission readiness, in-mission monitoring and support, and post-mission
recovery and rehabilitation.
There is already evidence of the important contributions to space life and biomedical sciences made
by UK professionals working in the areas of human factors, psychology, and neuroscience. In the
past, researchers at UK institutions have inputted on these topics during the development of human
research roadmaps for the European Space Agency (e.g., Towards human exploration of space: a
European strategy; THESEUS) and are currently involved in revisions and updates to new roadmaps
focused on the application of such areas to lunar and deep space operations. These types of
activities directly shape the science conducted by the international community in support of human
spaceight and demonstrate the expert capability that already exists in the UK.
Basic and applied research on these topics in relation to space has also been undertaken. For
example, UK based researchers have examined fundamental questions relevant to spaceight
competencies (e.g., situational awareness and understanding), monitoring health and wellbeing of
astronauts (e.g., voice analysis, temporal dynamics in mood during connement, changes in
Thematic Chapter: Human Factors,
Psychology & Neuroscience
Edited by Dr Nathan Smith, University of Manchester, UK
motivation over 6-month missions), supporting cognitive function, ne motor skill execution, and
eective performance in space (e.g., Myotones project, vestibular neuroscience), and
countermeasure development (e.g., Tools of Psychological Support during long duration missions).
New research relevant to these topics continues to be conducted with UK involvement in the
international SIRIUS missions through 2021-2023 (e.g., Stress, Health and Team Performance in
SIRIUS; SHELTER), collaborations with the NASA Human Behaviour and Performance Laboratory (e.g.,
validation of standard psychological health measures), ESA Advanced Concepts Team (e.g., building
agent-based models of team dynamics for moon operations), and developing digital platforms and
technologies to support the psychological and cognitive function of humans in space. Much of this
work overlaps with the other disciplines discussed in this paper, in particular the areas related to
medical practices and data science.
Longer-term, and in some cases more speculatively, UK researchers are starting to consider how to
ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of non-agency funded astronauts, including children and
commercial space travellers. To tackle these, and other challenges discussed in ESAs new SpaceSci
roadmaps, work on human factors, psychology, and neuroscience is increasingly being conducted at
the intersection with other disciplines including architecture and habitat design, biomechanics and
physiology, spacesuit design, and advances in telemedicine and robotics. Given human spaceight is
a growing sector, it is encouraging that scientists are already conducting innovative research on these
topics and that UK capability is being developed. The benet of this foresight and developed
expertise has recently been illustrated in response to the covid-19 pandemic, where knowledge from
psychological studies of astronauts and other isolated and conned populations has been used to
develop training and education material to support frontline healthcare workers and the wider
population facing conditions of isolation and connement during lockdown. This example nicely
illustrates the value of supporting human factors, psychology, and neuroscience research for space,
where in the future the primary focus might be on enabling human exploration of the universe, but
also having clear parallel benets for individuals and groups facing isolated, conned and extreme
conditions on Earth: whether through choice or in response to signicant global challenges such as
might be encountered during a pandemic or future climate related events.
Case Experiences
UK researchers contributed to the development of the original ESA SpaceSci Roadmaps prepared
in 2016 ¹³ and to 2020 updates focused on lunar and Mars exploration missions
¹³ http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/SciSpacE_Roadmaps.pdf
"Exploring our inner space empowers us to more condently
explore outer space. To reach beyond our Solar System and
settle across it, we need to tap into our human potential,
develop and extend our abilities and training methods: Starting
from Birth. For independent-reliant living, we need to continue
to learn from nature, take into consideration all our human
knowledge - modern and ancient - with the emphasis on a
holistic and integral approach to community living, health care
and wellness, including physical, mental, emotional, functional,
spiritual and social aspects."
Dr Iya Whiteley, Space Psychologist, Director, Centre for
Space Medicine, UCL.
22 23
Since 2006, Dr Iya Whiteley (Space Psychologist, Director, Centre for Space Medicine, Mullard
Space Science Laboratory, UCL) has led numerous studies related to space psychology and
human spaceight. This includes an ESA project related to psychological support during long
duration space missions and the development of expert tools to support crew autonomous
operations in deep space. More recently, the UCL research team has focused on voice and
content analysis tools to detect fatigue during exploration class missions. This research has led to
products used in other extreme contexts, such as mining, aviation, and medical operations.
Researchers at the Royal Holloway University of London are currently conducting vestibular
neuroscience projects supported by national and international bodies, including ESA and ELGRA.
This includes research on the eects of altered gravity on the human brain and behaviour.
In 2019, a collaborative group at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan
University initiated a number of new human spaceight studies with international partners
including ESA and NASA. This includes research examining the biopsychosocial basis of stress
resilience in isolated and conned teams, which draws upon prior ESA supported studies
examining changes in psychosocial function during long term isolation at Concordia station in
Antarctica and during 6-month missions on the International Space Station (ISS).
Within the UK, several PhD projects related to human factors, psychology and neuroscience in
space are underway or in the initial planning stages. These projects cover issues including crew
selection, training and countermeasures and team dynamics. Continued investment in early
career researchers supports the important continued development of expertise and UK-based
capability in this area of space health and life sciences.
Overcoming challenges
Contributors to the paper highlighted a number of challenges they face when conducting research
on these topics in the context of spaceight.
Despite expertise existing in the UK and regularly being sought out by ESA and other
international agencies, funding to support UK researchers involvement in human spaceight
research is often very limited. There are a number of examples of where researchers have been
successful in developing valuable international collaborations with ESA, NASA and others, and
through competitive processes, securing access to unique platforms such as the ISS, but then
failing to secure funding to support their work. This limits the sustainability of impactful
collaboration and long term capability development in these areas, which require funding for
sta involvement, to support early career researcher development and exploit ndings.
The mechanism(s) through which to generate terrestrial impact from research conducted in
space or space-like settings is lacking. Whilst there are clear areas where space-based ndings
can be extrapolated and applied to ground-based contexts, the best route through which to
eectively disseminate and/or exploit is not always clear. This has been obvious during the covid-
19 pandemic, where products stemming from human spaceight research conducted by scholars
in the UK could have been readily used to support the health and wellbeing of healthcare
workers (e.g., stress and fatigue monitoring). However, there was no central route for translating
and exploiting such work.
The prior challenge feeds into a further issue related to the legacy management of human
factors, psychology and neuroscience studies conducted by UK scientists in collaboration with
ESA and other international agencies. Although ESA and NASA have their own project databases,
there should be a UK repository where scientists can see what work has been conducted in the
past. This is important for continuity and strategic capability building. There should be a
responsible owner for this activity, which would ideally be coordinated through a central
governing institute or centre. It is possible that UK Space has this information in some form but a
complete (or near as possible) publicly accessible repository would be benecial to the
community.
A number of contributors highlighted the importance of thinking about research to support
future human spaceight. Most of the present research activities on space human factors,
psychology and neuroscience conducted in the UK focus on immediate priorities of international
space agencies. However, with the growing commercial interest in space, a wider range of people
are likely to travel into orbit, the moon and on deep space expeditions, and thus research will be
needed to ensure they can y safely and stay well during such missions. Up front investment is
needed to enable speculative research and capability development in this area, which is likely to
have reputational, economic and societal payback as commercial activities in space grow.
Driving research and innovation
Suggestions for resolving some of the aforementioned challenges and driving research and
innovation principally focus on the development of UK space governance, infrastructure and access
to funding and partnerships. These developments would support innovative space-related and Earth
applicable research relevant to current major societal challenges such as how to develop low-impact
sustainable habitats for human thriving, understanding the biopsychosocial basis of stress resilience
and how to train and support such responses, cognitive reactions and the mental health impact of
living in isolated, conned and extreme conditions, and optimising the resilience and function of
teams, groups and societies. To drive this research and innovation requires support. This might
include:
Establishing new agreements and development of governance between Research Councils (or
equivalents), UK Space, other government departments and industry to both nance and
potentially exploit space-based human factors, psychology and neuroscience research would be
benecial. This would help researchers and practitioners better understand how to support their
work and where their programmes might contribute to the UK science landscape and
commercial sector.
Establishing a multidisciplinary centre for space health, similar to the European Astronaut Centre
(EAC), would be a key enabler for conducting human factors, psychology and neuroscience
research as situated within the broader space life and biomedical sciences. This might operate in
a similar way to which the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) functions alongside the
Ministry of Defence (MOD) acting in coordination with the UK Space Agency and collaboratively
with other international and commercial partners.
Similarly, a translational research institute, modelled on the Baylor College of Medicine and NASA
supported Translation Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), would be benecial for
stimulating high impact research that has both space and terrestrial benet.
Funding administered through the aforementioned centre or institute, or directly by Research
Councils, would provide the resources for long term projects and capability development. This
might be used to support PhD students and early career researchers, as well as act as a vehicle
through which to exploit and translate human spaceight research to relevant Earth-based
audiences and settings. This should include opportunities to commercialise research.
The above activities would contribute to a more vibrant integrated network of space researchers
and those interested in the eld.
24 25
Ultimately, the right agreements, infrastructure, funding and partnerships would enable human
factors, psychologists, and neuroscientists in the UK to build on existing expertise and eventually
take on a recognised leading role within the space life and biomedical sciences sector. Through
the contribution to human space exploration and terrestrial application this support would have
a positive scientic, economic, and societal impact for the UK.
Testing and Training Manual Tasks in Astronauts (Phase 1 of interactive system)
This chapter is a synthesis of authored contributions from:
[Pg. 61] - Adam Hawkey, Solent University Southampton, UK
[Pg. 122] - David A Green - European Astronaut Centre, Germany & King's College London UK
[Pg. 97] - James Clark & Rebecca Jones, Royal Cornwall Hospital, UK
[Pg. 75] - John R Cain, Consultant
[Pg. 73] - Marcus Ranney, Human Edge
[Pg. 59] - Martin Braddock, Sherwood Observatory, Nottinghamshire, UK
[Pg. 95] - Myles Harris, University College London, UK
[Pg. 117] - Nick Caplan & Enrico De Martino, Northumbria University, UK
[Pg. 82] - Peter D Hodkinson - King’s College London, UK & Rochelle Velho - University of Birmingham
NHS Trust, UK
[Pg. 108] - Raymond Reynolds, University of Birmingham, UK
[Pg. 77 & 110] - Richard Skipworth, University of Edinburgh, UK
[Pg. 109] - Ross Pollock & Stephen Harridge, King’s College London, UK
[Pg. 96] - Samantha W. Jones, Shahjahan Shigdar, James Henstock, Kai Hoettges, Chris McArdle, Anne
McArdle, Malcolm J Jackson. University of Liverpool, UK
[Pg. 83] - Thomas Smith, King’s College London, UK
Overview
Space medicine is a diverse, multi-faceted eld that is a key enabler of human spaceight and
operational capability. It exists to manage the human risk in spaceight encompassing clinical, human
performance and human factors engineering elements. On the clinical side this includes eorts to
support crew health and wellbeing, to prevent ill-health in space, to risk assess potential medical
issues and to integrate medical support capabilities into the vehicle or mission architecture from the
start of the design process. In the event of medical issues arising, space medicine can provide in
person medical support from medically trained astronauts or crew medics, telemedical consultations,
Thematic Chapter: Bio-Medical and clinical
considerations
Edited by Dr Peter D. Hodkinson - King’s College London, UK & Dr Rochelle Velho, - University
of Birmingham NHS Trust, UK
Image courtesy of Maria Stokes, University of Southampton
Undertaking Human space research, helps us
understand how to best prepare and protect the human
body from the extremes of the space environment. This
has benets not just for astronauts but also for
populations on Earth. For example, for those with pre-
existing conditions aecting muscles (e.g. Arthritis,
neurological disorders) this research can inform
rehabilitative processes. In the wider population,
strategies to aid astronauts adhere to exercise
programmes on long-duration missions will help guide
uptake and maintenance strategies for the general
population, to reduce risk of developing chronic diseases
known to be associated with physical inactivity (e.g.
cardiovascular conditions, Diabetes)”
Professor Maria Stokes – University of Southampton
26 27
and medical equipment along with launch and landing cover.
As part of a holistic multidisciplinary approach to physical and mental wellbeing it also encompasses
psychology, nutrition, exercise, and performance aspects. These all require research to advance the
evidence base underpinning practice, to manage human risk in spaceight and to support health and
well-being on Earth and in space.
Along with elements already described within the life sciences thematic chapter, space medicine also
presents a great opportunity for novel research to inform our understanding of physiology and
disease processes of relevance to terrestrial or spaceight populations. As discussed in the previous
(second) chapter regarding human performance, space medicine specialists work with a multi-
disciplinary team of physiologists, psychologists and human factors specialists. This is to bring
together the diverse perspectives on potential physiological and performance eects of the
spaceight environment on individuals or teams that extends to safety cultures, operational
environment and human behaviour. Space biomedical and clinical considerations also have
implications for the design of protective equipment, systems or vehicles and habitats, which are
discussed in the next (fourth) Chapter. Space physiology and medicine also represent an invaluable
education and outreach tool that is discussed in the fth thematic chapter. The current chapter will
draw together and focus on examples across the spectrum of biomedicine and clinical
considerations.
Case Experiences
Fostering the next generation of aviation and space medicine doctors through a space medicine
training pathway:
With a view to the future, the UK General Medical Council approved the new specialty of Aviation
and Space Medicine in 2016. This is an important step forward and provides a path to training
specialists in space medicine in the UK, but training places are limited to organisations willing to
fund training.
Currently this is the Royal Air Force and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) where their focus is rightly
on their main work requirements in the aviation domain. These organisations have begun started
working with King’s College London, QinetiQ and other stakeholders to undertake research on
suborbital spaceight physiology that will inform development of CAA spaceight regulations and
guidance.
Translational applications from space medicine to improve
musculoskeletal health in patients:
There are signicant challenges related to musculoskeletal
health and disease in terrestrial and spaceight populations;
this is seen in changes related to ageing, sedentariness, back
pain, muscular health and function.
The UK has world leading expertise at multiple academic
centres of excellence in the UK, who have experience in
studying these eects to enhance understanding and provide
healthcare benet to terrestrial and spaceight populations.
Several institutions have designed innovative technological
countermeasures and exercise interventions to minimise
musculoskeletal deconditioning both in the laboratory and
spaceight environments. This is exemplied by both the ESA SkinSuit research studies at King’s
College London and the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device developed by Northumbria
University.
Solent University Southampton are investigating the application of whole-body vibration training
(WBVT - see Image opposite) and hand-held vibration training (HHVT) to improve health and
athletic performance aswell as the role of reduced gravity during rehabilitation of lower-limb
injuries.
The MicroAge project, scheduled for launch in November 2021, is a UKSA-funded national
mission to the International Space Station (ISS) performed by the University of Liverpool in
partnership with Kayser Space Ltd. The study will assess muscle adaptations to contractile activity
occurring in tissue-engineered skeletal muscle constructs exposed to microgravity on the ISS.
In collaboration with ESA and the German Aerospace Centre, the University of Liverpool are
exploiting the state-of-the-art FLUMIAS microscope on board the ISS to examine the role of
mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H202) as a mediator of rapid muscle loss under microgravity.
Translational applications from space medicine to cancer biology
Cancer cachexia is the syndrome of muscle wasting and nutritional depletion experienced by
cancer patients. Cachexia reduces patient treatment response, worsens physical function,
reduces quality of life, and ultimately results in shortened survival. It is estimated to directly cause
up to 50% of all cancer-related deaths and is therefore an enormous healthcare burden
internationally. Astronauts, and terrestrial bed rest analogue studies, represent unique
opportunities to investigate muscle wasting in humans (biochemically, physiologically and
functionally). Further insights into the mechanisms and negative functional consequences of
muscle wasting would help develop treatments for both astronauts and patients with cachexia,
with important benecial functional impacts for both groups (e.g. safety, mission eectiveness,
and task completion for astronauts, and independence, quality of life and survival for patients).
Telemedical applications during the Covid-19 pandemic were developed to enhance human
space exploration
The UK is at the forefront of international eorts to drive forward miniaturisation and capability
within robotic surgery. This can be done both remotely and at the bedside.
This initial work on telemedicine that began in the space medical sector, has been growing
exponentially within the UK and have been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Space travel can be utilised as a tool for drug discovery
Work by UK based scientists throughout the UK network of astronomy societies has contributed
publications which advance scientic understanding of the application of the drug discovery and
development processes to tackle problems associated with long term space travel.
Space health as a driver for research and innovation
Members of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Policy Group have contributed to the development
of the UK Research and Development Roadmap which includes input for Future frameworks for
international collaboration on research and innovation and the establishment of the UK
Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).
Image Courtesy of Adam Hawkey - Solent
University Southampton.
28 29
Overcoming challenges
The primary challenge is the absence of an accessible funding framework to enable space
medical and life science professionals to conduct human spaceight related research. At present,
there is limited infrastructure and a lack of funding to support UK clinicians and biomedical
researchers in this area. There is no broader overarching research strategy or bodies to guide
space medical and life sciences research in the UK.
These constraints limit the potential innovation and benets this sector could deliver for
terrestrial healthcare or science from such work or the important role UK personnel could play in
supporting and contributing to human spaceight and exploration. For example, some UK
researchers on collaborative ESA funded projects are only able to secure funding for limited
duration of the projects, while their European collaborators received full ESA funding.
Another challenge is the lack of funding and opportunities to train in space medicine in the UK.
The UK does not have its own human spaceight programme and unlike French, German and
Italian equivalents the UK Space Agency does not employ doctors or send them to support the
European Astronaut Corps at the European Astronaut Centre.
This could be addressed through UK Space Agency funding to train and grow a cadre of space
medicine doctors with secondments to ESA or NASA to gain operational clinical experience.
These would then generate and develop capability for the UKSA across the breadth of the
specialty across clinical, advisory, research and innovation roles.
Similarly, another challenge has been the lack of support for UK surgeons to apply their abilities
or research in the context of spaceight. If fostered, this could serve as a driver for technology
innovation to support surgery in space but with clear potential innovation and benet for
terrestrial surgery. The UK has been slow to start on exploring the technical aspect of surgery
within the microgravity environment or the wider reaching impact it can have. Data on the eects
of wound healing, infection control or anaesthesia support remain limited.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority also needs human spaceight related research to address gaps in
the evidence base underlying its development of regulations for future human spaceight from
the UK. This needs to be evaluated along with associated ight safety, governance and assurance
considerations for these operations. The funding pathways and opportunities for such research
are unclear and this area would benet from better access to research funding.
There is progress in pre-hospital patient monitoring, for example in a transportable setting, and
syncing with hospital specialists during transit but again funding opportunities are limited, which
constrain potential innovation in this area. There is also limited opportunity to apply any
expertise in this eld to the space context due to a lack of collaboration between the NHS, UKSA
and international space agencies. This may be addressed by fostering these relationships, which
would facilitate skill and knowledge transfer between health and space sectors as we are likely to
see in the recently announced NHS, UKSA and ESA future ‘space age’ hospitals project. ¹⁴
There is limited contact between the UK and internationally based-astronautical hygienists. This
has resulted in a lack of promotion of the discipline within the space medical and life sciences. If
the infrastructure of astronautic hygiene is to be improved, then there is a need for partnerships
between the biomedicine and engineering disciplines including training and education.
Driving research and innovation
Inspiration, innovation, science, research and development are at the heart of space medicine
practice. However, the UK space biomedical and clinical sciences sector needs research
infrastructure and funding to support the potential benets it oers. There are clear themes that can
be seen across abstracts in this and other chapters. They demonstrate potential for terrestrial health
and broader societal benets along with provision of support to human health and performance in
spaceight. There is potential for space biomedical and clinical work to drive forward research related
to terrestrial health challenges. These range from disease understanding, medical countermeasures
or surgical systems, telemedicine and remote assessment tools that are of benet to spaceight and
terrestrial populations. Additional research and innovation benets include:
The UK government’s industrial strategy has set out ‘healthy ageing’ as a Grand Challenge,
highlighting the importance of harnessing the power of research and innovation to meet the
needs of our older population whilst achieving 5 more years of healthy ageing by 2035.
Microgravity environments and analogues are an important resource for ageing research,
providing a platform to examine accelerated ageing phenotypes in skeletal muscle and other
major organs. Such research activities have clear terrestrial benet, extending from fundamental
mechanistic studies, through to the identication of druggable targets. Such work will also
contribute to alleviating the use of animals in basic laboratory research.
Advances in the generation of human models of muscle wasting (e.g. study of astronauts or bed
rest volunteers) would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms and treatments of muscle
wasting (for spaceight or cancer patients) that are not easily available in the UK. Such a strategy
would sit well alongside capacity-building research structures in the UK, such as the NIHR Cancer
and Nutrition Collaboration.
Spaceight is a novel means of research but also a hook and driver of behaviour change in
relation to exercise that brings a variety of health benets such as reduced cardiovascular risk
and through musculoskeletal conditioning to support functions of daily living and quality of life
aspects of healthy ageing.
The importance of physical activity on both our physical and mental health has been heightened
due to recent events surrounding COVID-19. In addition, physical activity is now regularly used to
improve patients’ tness prior to surgery, and to help combat epidemics such as obesity and
diabetes; all of which are helping us to live healthier lives, for longer. In the future, greater
research collaboration and knowledge exchange activities between the UK human spaceight
and sports science and rehabilitation communities has potential to catalyse research and
innovation in each of these areas.
The rapid innovation and reduction in the size of mechanical ventilators evidenced during the
COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the possibility of rapid innovation and translation when the
need arises and of course the networks, funding and commercialisation are all aligned.
Innovation and technological advances may also extend to drug discovery and development or
novel digital technology for patient montioring in remote or pre-hospital settings.
Equipment innovation to overcome challenges in microgravity, such as the need for a redesign of
chest drains for pneumothorax or the development of automated image guided robotic
percutaneous interventional systems could lead to terrestrial benet as well. These would
profoundly change the landscape of the need for surgical intervention in trauma. It is already
evident that interventional radiology is a growing speciality and in terms of trauma can now
manage 95% of traumatic splenic injuries when previously most patients would require major
surgery.
The instigation of robotic automated processes in pharmacy or other areas and also
¹⁴ Announced 1st April 2021
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-space-agency-launches-multi-million-pound-drive-to-design-hospital-of-the-future
30 31
incorporating AI and machine learning tools to enable predictive analytics associated with
astronaut diagnostics and clinical investigations performed during missions.
Promoting accelerated training for surgical trainees through digital coaching.
In a holistic systems engineering approach to new vehicles, habitats or other systems for space, a
work strand on human factors engineering to advocate for human-centred design should be
integrated into the early phase of the projects. This should be a multidisciplinary approach to
consider the great diversity of elements that need to accommodate human needs for survival,
function, performance and wellbeing.
A collaboration of Universities led by UCL and UK Analogue Mission are developing a pilot
analogue mission that will investigate interdisciplinary space health within the context of a
simulated exploration of another planetary body. This will be the rst empirical study in the UK
that investigates interdisciplinary space health practice and provides the foundation of future UK
space analog missions that provide valuable opportunities to eld test systems and procedures
for spaceight.
From a space-ight perspective, the Artemis programme is ushering in a new era of space
exploration as humanity pushes boundaries, building a long-term presence on the moon by the
end of the decade. The Artemis missions will build the foundations for supporting and sustaining
life away from earth, as such it is important for us to understand the biological implications of
such endeavours so that we may develop eective intervention strategies to preserve astronaut
health under microgravity.
The potential for human enhancement for risk mitigation strategies in long duration spaceight
that may have terrestrial applications.
In summary, space medicine, as part of a broad multidisciplinary approach, is a key enabler and
essential element for any human spaceight programme. Operating at the intersection of science,
technology and engineering; space biomedicine and clinical considerations play a critical role in
supporting health and wellbeing in space and terrestrial benet for all along with contribution to
research, innovation and development of future operational capability for human spaceight.
However, as described in the previous chapter there is currently no centre for these capabilities to be
developed and the establishment of such a centre would bring great benet to the potential this
sector oers to UK research and
development. This would provide a
vehicle to nurture closer
collaborations between the NHS and
the UK Space Agency, via an
infrastructure framework
implemented to support UK-based
NHS Healthcare sta and scientists to
conduct research with international
space agencies and relevant
commercial partners. By creating a
hub for communication and outreach
to the general public on the
application to problem solving of UK
based technology and expertise in
space biomedicine and health would
also harness the great potential for
space harboured research to benet
humankind and capitalise on these
areas of research and development.
Such a centre would provide the funding, training structure and partnership opportunities for
established, early career, biomedical science and clinical researchers to engage in responsive,
stakeholder-driven, innovative research and development of medical devices and other technology
for human spaceight and terrestrial benet. A Centre or virtual ‘space medical village’ infrastructure
would produce critical mass and enable capacity building with a career pathway for innovative young
minds to ourish and become world-class space research leaders.
Image Courtesy of Nick Caplan - Northumbria University
The Northumbria University research team on the 1st Inter-agency parabolic flight campaign 2018 Credit: Northumbria University
“Access to the microgravity environment presents an
accelerated model of musculoskeletal deconditioning
directly relevant to many healthcare populations on
Earth, with the unique benet of allowing researchers
to study injury- related deconditioning from before the
injury occurs.”
Professor Nick Caplan, Northumbria University
"Investigating how biological systems respond and adapt to
the challenging environment of space ultimately informs us
more about how organisms, including humans, adapt on
Earth. This aligns with current terrestrial grand challenges,
such as those relating to the growing older population and
the drive for more personalised medicine. This report brings
together voices from across the health and life sciences sector
and I welcome how it highlights the wide ranging benets
that space-related research can bring.”
Professor Stephen Harridge, Centre for Human and
Applied Physiological Sciences, King's College London
32 33
This chapter is a synthesis of authored contributions from:
[Pg. 78] - Ashfaq Gilkar - Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, UK
[Pg. 101] - Charlie Young, Chris Smith, Graham Schultz - Plastron UK, UK
[Pg. 106] - David C. Cullen and Aqeel Shamsul - Craneld University,UK
[Pg. 49] - Gianluca Neri - Kayser Space Ltd.
[Pg. 71] - Harish Bhaskaran - University of Oxford, UK & Nina Vaydya- California Institute of
Technology, USA
[Pg. 112] - Li Shen - Imperial College London, UK
[Pg. 70] - Matthew Dickinson - University of Central Lancashire, UK
[Pg. 64] - Patrick Magee - Magee Medical Systems
[Pg. 104] - Pedro Madrigal - University of Cambridge, UK
[Pg. 99] - Thais Russomano - King’s College London, UK & InnovaSpace UK.
[Pg. 100] - William Abraham da Silveira - Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Overview
The environment of space is hazardous to life, and all life support in space is dependent on
technology. Generations of space engineers and scientists have dedicated their careers to supporting
the health of astronauts and the viability of other living organisms through launch and return, in
orbiting spacecraft and on experimental platforms. The current landscape of research and
development in this sector is rich and diverse, and characterized by strong collaborative programmes
linking academic research groups, industry and public organisations such as space agencies. These
programmes have delivered many innovations in engineering, design, new materials, control systems,
manufacturing and robotics, and the life and biological sciences continue to be a driver for ambitious
next generation solutions to challenges both in space and on earth. Underpinning these innovations,
data science and data-driven approaches have seen signicant adoption, with many activities being
initiated across space agencies, research centres and commercial organisations and initiatives. Digital
and data technology is now woven through all aspects of engineering, across all sectors of research
and development.
Thematic Chapter: Engineering, Robotics,
data and AI
Edited by Professor Kate Robson-Brown - University of Bristol, UK
Space agencies across the globe are now focussing support on health, life, and biological science
projects which harness the power of data science, and in particular over the last few years Articial
Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, simulation, cloud platforms, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big
Data Analytics, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) have received particular attention. These
initiatives are a positive response to the opportunities presented by the ow of data from space
sensors, life support, and experiment sensors, and they are increasingly driving the agenda of what
has been dubbed ‘Space 4.0’ – like the often quoted Engineering 4.0 this vision refers to the
opportunity presented by the integration of digital technologies to transform the space sector
through improved eciency and productivity. The UK has the expertise and capability to lead the
development of next generation engineering, data science and AI innovations for health, life and
biological sciences in space, and drive the translation to terrestrial benet in the UK and beyond.
Case Experiences
In the contributions discussed there were a number of case areas highlighted including:-
Life support systems – bioengineering development of human respiratory life support systems
Medical technology – sensors, IoT, connectivity, predictive modeling
Assistive technology – exoskeleton, wearable sensors, rehabilitation technology
Space science - experimental platforms, experimental design, big data and multi-omics,
miniaturized hardware platforms, uid dynamics in microgravity
Innovative manufacturing – 3D printing, automated design, patient specic modelling, in-orbit
laboratory and service provision
Overcoming Challenges
The health, life and biological space sciences in the UK are well placed to lead the world in developing
next generation discovery, applications and technology, and the challenges faced by the sector can
be addressed.
Infrastructural fragmentation. While engineering, data and digital innovation related to
health, life and biological space science activity is ongoing across the spectrum of academic
research departments in universities and public and commercial organisations, there are few
mechanisms for sharing good practice, accessing funding for projects directly, or improving high
level visibility within government and funding bodies. The sector would benet from leadership,
development of research strategy, and clarity of national priorities.
Data infrastructure development and Data Intelligence. The UK could develop
infrastructure to improve and facilitate data sharing, asset management, and data
communication. This could include guidance on shared data/metadata standards.
Sector development – The UK could address the skills development needs for the sector,
improve access to funding and support development of the regulatory framework.
Mission engagement – Many individuals and research groups in the UK are strong partners in
missions initiated elsewhere, but the UK should lead and launch a national mission.
International Partnerships – digital and data could be core capabilities for UK investment in
34 35
space, for example through the Artemis programme. The UK could contribute directly by
developing robust mechanisms to underpin such partnerships, for example around IP and data
sharing, or develop a strategic partnership with the new ESA Data Centre (ESAC, Madrid).
Global challenges – Maximising benet and value should not be limited to the UK; there could
be a national priority to articulate the UK space digital and data sector’s role in areas such
responding to climate change, disaster relief, tackling human tracking , epidemics, and reducing
space debris and enforcing space security for all.
Driving Research and Innovation
In the context of low earth orbit, health, life and biological science activities are generating ever larger
and more complex datasets, much of which requires streaming for real time capture and analysis.
Experimental hardware now often has a requirement to be driven remotely, or function
autonomously. This will signicantly increase in the coming years as researchers demand more real-
time data from on-station analysis tools and remote control systems. At the same time, there is a
need also to limit human engagement time and the contain the complexity of training requirements.
This demand is driving the development of novel ecosystem of commercial LEO solutions, uncrewed,
and oering a variety of mission deployment systems and ight durations, which could well bring
down the cost of access and open up opportunities for the supply chain industries. All these systems,
on the horizon, will need data infrastructures, data engineering solutions, software development and
new analytics, and in many ways we are well placed in the UK to take advantage of these
opportunities, given our existing wealth of expertise from related sectors.
All the technologies which are part of Industry 4.0, i.e. AI, Cloud, Big Data, IoT, are transforming the
way health sensor data, biological experimental data and earth observation data is being processed,
analyzed and used. This transformation does not necessarily mean using only siloed datasets to draw
insights – but integrating dierent data sources to draw out analysis using AI and ML. From a
European perspective, especially concerning the Copernicus program, new data platforms are being
developed to receive, process and archive the massive volume of satellite data collected from the
Sentinels and other contributing commissions. These data platforms are established on the cloud,
and work with AI and machine learning enabling the development of new applications in the EO
sector. Many have argued that this accelerating digital transformation in the space sector will bring
with it new business models for the space industry, and benet many aspects of terrestrial
population health. Where large data sets are derived from medical sensors and biological experiment
data, there is a drive to improve predictive modelling using AI and ML, and the development of
subject specic digital twin systems.
In the context of lunar missions, the health, life and biological sciences are expected to play a leading
role in driving technological innovations. The Artemis programme aims to take humans back to the
moon and beyond, supported by sustainable lunar exploration, and this ambition will be achieved
through partnerships between academic, commercial and international public organisations. The
Human Landing System is in development, and the orbital Gateway station Power and Propulsion
Element (PPE) and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) are planned for launch together in
2023. The commercial partnerships are core to this ambition – the lander is commercially developed.
New spacesuits are in development that incorporate sophisticated comms and life support systems.
On the Gateway, research will be conducted using novel experimental platforms and there is a strong
drive towards interoperability of components and digital and data platforms. The Canadian Space
Agency (CSA) has committed to providing advanced robotics for the Gateway, and ESA (European
Space Agency) plans to provide the International Habitat (IHab) and the ESPRIT module, which will
deliver additional communications capabilities, a science airlock for deploying science payloads and
CubeSats, and refueling of the Gateway. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to
contribute habitation components and logistics resupply. At the lunar South Pole, NASA and partners
will develop an Artemis Base Camp to support longer expeditions on the lunar surface. Planned Base
Camp elements include a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV, or unpressurized rover), a habitable mobility
platform (pressurized rover), a lunar foundation habitation module, power systems, and in-situ
resource utilization systems. This long-term gradual development of capabilities on and around the
moon is seen as essential to establishing long term exploration capacity and preparation for human
exploration of Mars. All components of this vision rely on sustainable engineering solutions, new
technologies for life support, trustworthy, innovative digital and data-driven systems and processes
including positioning systems, machine vision, and autonomous and remote operability.
Future visions of interplanetary travel and human presence on Mars and beyond will only be realised
if the challenges to digital and data infrastructure are addressed as a priority. Here, the challenges to
exploration are extreme because the constraints are signicant in terms of deploying technology.
There is currently a lack of communication infrastructure required for high throughput data ow and
data based services such as GPS. Relying on more autonomous technology may be one way forward,
and this ambition opens up opportunities to the AI, robotics, and computer vision research
communities. For Mars orbital platforms in particular, the development of on-board analytics
including ML solutions will be crucial to mission success.
Health, life and biological space science has long played a pivotal role in driving the direction and
deployment of engineering, data and digital innovations, not only in the context of space but also
translated to terrestrial benet. The impact of research and development in this sector has been felt
in many disparate elds including weather and space weather monitoring, climate change modelling
and nowcasting, agritech and precision farming, public health monitoring, telemedicine, mental
health interventions and human performance, robotic surgery, digital twins, new materials and
manufacturing, interconnected medical technology and monitoring supporting precision medicine
and person centred care, patient specic interventions, rehabilitation, and disaster relief.
"The space sector is as vast as the universe itself and one of the most
interdisciplinary areas of R&D and collaboration. Whether creating
enormous orbiting laboratories or experimental platforms for studying the
adaptation of dierent life forms to the microgravity environment of space,
interdisciplinarity is at its foundation, bringing with it translational benets
to collaborative research on Earth."
Professor Thais Russomano, Centre for Human and Applied
Physiological Sciences, King's College London
Images Courtesy of David Cullen – Cranfield University
Left image – labelled CAD representation of the 2nd generation BAMMsat 2U payload design indicating various features.
Right image – photograph of the 2nd generation BAMMsat payload in preparation for flight on the BEXUS stratospheric balloon
platform and with the addition of a 1U avionics module (on left end of payload) and a mounting bracket for interface to the balloon
gondola frame
36 37
This chapter is a synthesis of authored contributions from:
[Pg 87] - Nigel Savage - HE Space Operations for ESA - European Space Agency, The Netherlands
[Pg 111] - Daniel Molland, Zoe Gaen, & Julie Keeble - Kings College London, UK and International
Space School Educational Trust (ISSET)
[Pg 61] - Adam Hawkey - Solent University Southampton, UK
Overview
For centuries, space has been a source of inspiration to humanity. This continues to the present day
and is responsible for the creation of new industries and the development of new career paths within
already established areas. While scientic endeavour and research are fundamental to this progress,
eective education, knowledge exchange and the delivery of outreach activities are also important to
encourage and enthuse the next generation of scientists, engineers, teachers, healthcare
profesionals and astronauts. In 2016 a new medical speciality ‘Aviation and Space Medicine ¹⁵, was
recognised by the General Medical Council, and this has the potential to improve opportunities for
those with a professional interest in the discipline. This interest is further evidenced by 53 of the 272
applicants (and six of the selected 52 candidates) for ESA’s Space Physician Training Course
(SPTC2021) being from the UK. Similarly, of the 150+ applications for ESA’s Human Space Physiology
Training Course (HSTC2020), 12 UK individuals were in the top 75 candidates; of the 12 eventually
selected for the programme, seven were from the UK.
Several universities in the UK, including Imperial College London, King’s College London, University
College London, and Northumbria University, oer higher education courses (e.g. PGDip, MSc, and
BSc), or modules, that incorporate space physiology and medicine into their syllabus¹. Many other
academic institutions provide insights into human physiology in the extremes, with distinct references
made to the space environment. There are some specic examples where aspects of space
physiology/biomechanics have been utilised to benet terrestrial applications, such as the use of
reduced gravity technology in sports rehabilitation. University engagement in space-related topics
can be further evidenced by the inclusion of a special expert panel, comprised of representatives
from UK SpaceLABS and ESA, at the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) 2021
Student Conference; in which the physical challenges of extended human spaceight were
highlighted ¹⁶.
Thematic Chapter: Education & Knowledge
Exchange
Edited by Associate Professor Adam Hawkey - Solent University Southampton, UK
¹⁵ Centre for Altitude Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, University College London
http://www.case-medicine.co.uk/Education
¹⁶ UK SpaceLABS Expert Panel on Human Spaceflight.
https://www.solent.ac.uk/solent-sport/bases-annual-student-conference
Outreach activities, knowledge exchange, and public engagement have also been used to capture the
public's imagination around space. While some of these events and media coverage have catered for
the general population ¹⁷, the majority have been tailored to a younger audience. One such example,
a recent Royal Institution (RI) Christmas Lecture, delivered by Dr Kevin Fong, was focused on the topic
of How to Survive in Space ¹⁸. The RI was also used by The Physiological Society to ‘launch’ their
educational animation: What happens to your body in space? Mission to Mars ¹⁹. Aimed primarily at
secondary school-aged students, the animation accompanied a series of online resources related to
space physiology ²⁰; both utilised scientic advisors from UK universities and former NASA astronaut
James Pawelczyk. Capitalising on the exploits of Major Tim Peake's Principia Mission has also been a
feature of space-related education and knowledge exchange. A prime example of this is the Tim
Peake Primary Schools Project, designed to promote STEM engagement by providing resources that
linked many aspects of the curriculum to his International Space Station (ISS) mission. This oered a
range of opportunities to help children and teachers become more aware of space, and the
opportunities this may hold in the future. Topics covered in this project included what astronauts eat
in space, how to keep t in microgravity, and the importance of maintaining bone health; both on and
o the earth ²¹.
Other STEM-related activities, like Mission X: train like an astronaut ²², have been complemented by
media coverage aimed at school children. These have included: Curious Kids articles highlighting the
challenges of travelling to Mars in educational publications like The Conversation ²³; news reports on
the eects of space travel on the human body for the BBC’s Newsround programme ²⁴; and popular
children’s television shows like Horrible Histories showcasing what it would have been like for the
Apollo astronauts during their lunar missions ²⁵.
¹⁷ Hawkey, A. (2020). Do you have the right stuff to be an astronaut? The Independent. Available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/science-and-technology/how-become-astronaut-spacex-elon-musk-nasa-iss-
a9581121.html
¹⁸ Fong, K (2015) How to Survive in Space. Christmas Lecture, Royal Institution, London.
www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/2015/how-to-survive-in-space.
¹⁹ The Physiological Society What happens to your body in space? Mission to Mars Educational Animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7rDrAKRqjo
²⁰ The Physiological Society “Space Physiology”
https://www.physoc.org/careers/research/space-physiology/
²¹ Tim Peake Primary School Project
https://www.stem.org.uk/community/groups/155593/tim-peake-primary-project-20162017?page=9
Tim Peake Primary School Project
https://www.stem.org.uk/community/groups/155593/bone-density-and-effect-space-visit-dr-hawkey-lindfield-primary-academy
²² Mission X: Train like an astronaut
https://www.stem.org.uk/elibrary/resource/31444
²³ Hawkey, A. (2020). Curious Kids: why can’t we put people on Mars? The Conversation. Available at:
https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-cant-we-put-people-on-mars-130013
²⁴ BBC - What are the effects of space travel on the human body? - CBBC Newsround
²⁵ Horrible Histories: Moon Mayhem
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006w7j/horrible-histories-series-8-7-moon-mayhem?xtor=CS8-1000-
[Discovery_Cards]-[Multi_Site]-[SL08]-[PS_IPLAYER~N~~P_HorribleHistoriesS8E7]
38 39
Case Experiences
The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Programme was established to inspire and motivate
young people to enhance their literacy and competence in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM disciplines) and to pursue a career in these elds; in particular the space domain.
The programme incorporates several exciting activities ranging from training and classroom activities
that use space as a teaching and learning context for school teachers and pupils, to real space
projects for university students. Enveloped within the ESA Academy, activities complement academia
by providing a link between university education and professional experience. “Hands-On
Programmes” cater for engineering students as well as scientists who want to gain access to space or
altered gravity platforms. These programmes include “Fly a Rocket!”, “Fly Your Satellite!”, “Rexus/
Bexus”, “Orbit Your Thesis!”, “Fly Your Thesis!”, “Drop Your Thesis!”, “Spin Your Thesis!” and “Spin Your
Thesis! Human Edition”. While the “Fly a Rocket!”, “Fly Your Satellite!” and “Rexus/Bexus” programmes
are geared toward engineering and non-life sciences, the other (Your Thesis!) programmes give teams
access to life-science friendly platforms, which include the ISS, parabolic ights, large diameter and
short-arm human centrifuges. Since 2015, 24 students with UK citizenship have been selected to
participate in the Hands-On Programmes. These students formed part of seven teams spanning nine
UK Universities. Of these seven teams, three performed life science experiments. Interestingly, all
these used centrifuges, investigating the eects of hypergravity on the human skeleton, plasma
membrane uidity, and arthritis, respectively. One team, for example, the Bristol Bone Biologists from
the University of Bristol, successfully applied for “Spin Your Thesis!” in 2018 and investigated how
hypergravity aected developing zebrash embryos.
Within the Centre for Human & Applied
Physiological Sciences at King’s College
London, the Keeble research group
oers a unique opportunity for
undergraduates to develop experiments
for launch to the ISS. The experiments
that students develop cover a range of
research disciplines from protein activity
studies through to applied physiology on
small organisms such as Daphnia or
earth worms. By exposing
undergraduate students to the
challenges and rewards of developing
experiments for spaceight, this group
acts to empower the young scientists
who will be central to the UK’s long-term
ambitions in space. Directly supporting
Image courtesy of Nigel Savage
Credit: European Space Agency & Novespace
experiments developed within this group is the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET),
which provides educational experiences (e.g. the Mission Discovery programme) for students aged
14-18. The students are supported by a range of NASA astronauts and engineers, alongside
university scientists. The winning ideas are fed into the Keeble group, which are then developed by
undergraduate students into fully functional experiments. To date, this scheme has produced over 30
experiments, launching aboard eight separate commercial resupply missions. For both under- and
post-graduate students, the development of these experiments provides an unparalleled educational
opportunity, with students learning how to balance the constraints of performing an experiment in
microgravity while maximising scientic benet. By providing a feasible method of access for
undergraduates to work with projects that are sent to space, the Keeble group equips students with
the knowledge and technical expertise required to handle biological spaceight experiments.
Overcoming Challenges
The UK’s engagement with ESA’s space physiology and space physician training programmes is
encouraging. However, that aviation or space medicine are not included in UK medical school
teaching curriculum requires reection and potentially reform. Similarly, while several UK universities
oer modules in extreme environment physiology, these are usually linked to a sport and exercise
science programme, and therefore have a strong focus on the teaching of terrestrial-based
physiology such as heat, cold and altitude acclimatisation rather than human spaceight. It would,
therefore, be desirable to better integrate provision and resources to allow for the more eective
teaching of space physiology within a higher education setting.
Space life science-related education is evident in a variety of informal ways throughout the primary
school age group (e.g. Tim Peak Primary Schools Project). Yet there is a noticeable, and concerning,
absence in secondary curricula. Most of the teaching around space in a secondary school setting is
focused on physics (e.g. gravity on other planets and stars) and while there is a requirement for basic
'biomechanics' (i.e. skeleton and musculature) there is no specic reference made to space life
sciences, or health applications ²⁶. There is little, or no, material specically developed for schools that
refers to the biological dimensions of spaceight. Although the notion of space exploration is
perceived as motivating, there may be a curricular disconnect between physics and biology that
inhibits such teaching. (The) Biologist has featured articles on Combatting bone loss in space and
Extraterrestrial Life Science ²⁷, but dedicated articles on the topic in journals such as School Science
Review are rare.
Driving Research and Innovation
Space clearly has a valued place in the UK education sector. While it can be, and has been, used
eectively as a vehicle for learning in relation to STEM, the inter-disciplinary and cross-curricular
potential goes far beyond just these subjects. There does now need to be a clear and focused
integration of space life sciences in the national curricula and beyond. It is imperative to develop
educational and training initiatives to inspire and inuence careers in the health and life sciences,
especially given the importance of this sector through the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The space
sector is in a unique position to help the health and life science sector by contributing to the
development of outreach and education projects to raise the sectors prole, which could generate
new interest in potential commercial and industry applications and in the establishing of new career
pathways. Finally, increasing accessibility to life science experiments aboard the ISS will further assist
educational institutions provide training and real-world experiences for undergraduates. Ultimately,
this will help to ensure that the UK educational sector can oer the calibre of scientists required to
meet the bioscientic challenges that further Lunar and Martian exploration will undoubtably bring.
²⁶ National Curriculum in England: science programmes of study.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-science-programmes-of-study
²⁷ Deane, C. and Szewczyk, N. (2019). Extraterrestrial Life Science. The Biologist, 64(4): 12-15.
https://thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-features/extraterrestrial-life-science
"Education and knowledge exchange in the eld of human spaceight are
unparalleled lightning rods to capture and simulate the interest and
aspirations of young people not only in spaceight, but across the STEM
disciplines. Furthermore, given the historic lack of engagement in human
spaceight the high representation of the UK, and its young citizens in
educational initiatives has been, and will continue to be key in building
capacity to exploit and leverage the UK’s participation in the ISS and
exploration programmes, in addition to supporting and leading the growth
of UK commercial enterprises."
Dr David A Green, - Visiting Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Physiology
King's College London, UK
40 41
The UK has a world leading space R&D ecosystem and established partnerships with international
agencies, in particular close strategic partnerships with the European Space Agency.
Specic to the health and life science sector, there exist signicant capability across domains. This is
evidenced by the previous thematic chapters and the considerable number of contributions received
(see section 'Making the Case' [Pg 44]). The community also has access opportunities, directly, and
through relationships with UK Space, to the various space platforms previously discussed, including
the ISS, parabolic ight and ground based analogues. Similar access is expected to future platforms
such as Lunar Gateway and Lunar surface infrastructure as well as various commercial testbeds.
Eventually this may extend to deep space exploration platforms.
It is clear from the thematic chapters and underpinning individual author contributions, that a
signicant barrier to life and biomedical scientists in the UK being able to do space-related research
for both exploration and terrestrial benet is the lack of a bridging mechanism between capability
and access. This is represented in the below Figure.
Without the right funding, infrastructure and relationships and agreements it is challenging for UK
scientists to develop and sustain long-term research programmes in collaboration with the
international agencies, principally ESA, and other commercial partners. This is problematic because it
limits often necessary multi-year investigations that might be scaled up over time from studies in
ground-based platforms to microgravity, and potentially in the future, to lunar and deep space
missions. Recommendations outlined at the beginning of the paper oer a way forward and possible
solutions for bridging this gap.
Space life and biomedical research conducted on space platforms, facilitated by the
recommendations mentioned above, has the potential to benet the UK across scientic (building
capability and expertise), economic (supporting new commercial ventures and job creation) and
societal (solving important societal challenges from ageing to resilience and mental health) domains.
To secure this benet, there has to be the right governance in place to enable eective knowledge
transfer and exploitation.
Summary: Bridging the Gap between
existing capabilities and the access to
opportunities to benet the UK
Presently, the route through which to eectively document, translate, transfer and exploit knowledge
generated from space life and biomedical science research by UK scientists is unclear. This is
captured in the recommendations gap towards the right of Figure. Suggestions have been oered,
including knowledge transfer initiatives and industry catalysts, which if taken up should maximise the
potential impact of this research.
Overall, the aim of this paper was to highlight the groundswell of support for building capability and
capacity in the space life and biomedical sector in the UK. A joined up process has been oered with
clear recommendations, that if followed, would support the space life and biomedical sciences
community and put the UK amongst the leading nations working on these topics.
"The interface between the Space Sector and the Health & Life Science Sector, could provide a
powerful catalyst for new research and innovation. This report helps to lay the foundations for how
the UK can harness its respective world leading capabilities in these respective sectors to drive R&D
collaborations’"
Dr Barbara Ghinelli
Director, Clusters and Harwell Campus Business Development,
UKRI-STFC
42 43
Our thanks go to all the institutions and organisations which have supported this endeavour
including:-
"The opportunity for new commercial applications developed in the microgravity environment is just
opening up, and with the strength of UK lifescience research, there is a great opportunity for the UK to
create new concepts and deliver signicant social and economic benets to earth!"
"KTN exists to connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking –
accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions. Our diverse connections span business, government,
funders, research and the third sector. KTN is fully supportive of this initiative to further harness the
interface between the Space and Life Sciences sector, and to foster knowledge transfer and new cross-sector
collaborations that accelerate ambitious ideas into real-world solutions".
Supporters
UK Space LABS was created in 2014 through the merger of the UK Space Biomedicine Association - a
student lead organisation for the advancement of space medicine and life sciences in the UK - and
the UK Space Biomedicine Consortium - a collaboration of institutions with space biomedicine
related interests or activities.
The purpose of the association is to advance the research and conduct of space life and medical
sciences and related sciences in the UK. Our members consist of clinicians, academics, government
representatives, early career researchers and students, industry and military professionals.
It’s core objective is to support the Space and Aviation Biomedical community in the UK through:-
1. Specic Events
2. Showcasing the speciality and examples of research at the national level
3. Articulating terrestrial benets of this theme
To learn more about the association, visit ukspacelabs.co.uk or follow on,
Our sincere thanks to the entire UK Space LABS executive committee from this and previous years
for their work advancing this sector interface.
Copyright © 2021 UK Space Life and Biomedical Sciences Association
For questions relating to this paper you can contact the UK Space LABS engagement team
on our above social media or by email on ukspacelabsengagement@gmail.com
"I have learned so much through my involvement with UK
Space LABS. Many of their challenges are entirely new to me,
and the solutions will benet greatly not only the space sector
but life on our planet"
Hagan Bayley
Professor of Chemical Biology, University of Oxford
Twitter: @uk_spacelabs
LinkedIn: UK Space LABS
About UK Space LABS
44 45
Through the open calls in 2020/2021 over 50 contributions were received from Academia, Industry,
Clinical and Government contributors. In the previous Thematic chapters a synthesis from these was
presented. Here, the full contributions are collated which cover a breadth of activity and input from
the Health & Life Science Community.
Table of Contributions
# Author Title Page
1 Ramon Nartallo Commercial Services – fast-track access to
microgravity
48
2 Gianluca Neri Designing experiments for space: assisting the
process
49
3 Joshua West Dedicated Return: The Opportunity for Health
and Life Sciences O-ISS
51
4 Dianne Catherwood
& Graham K. Edgar
Children in Space? Planning for Children’s
Development in Space Environments
52
5 Graham K. Edgar &
Dianne Catherwood
Situation awareness is an issue wherever you are. 54
6 Daniel Campbell Life sciences and microgravity 56
7 Iya Whiteley Space Psychology and Human Factors 57
8 Martin Braddock Physical requirements for long-term spaceight
and extra-terrestrial colonisation
59
9 Adam Hawkey Human spaceight research and sport & exercise
science: interactions and synergies
61
10 Matthew P. Davey,
Alison G. Smith,
Payam Mehrshahi,
Ellen Harrison,Felice
Mastroleo & Natalie
Leys
Microalgae biotechnology for space applications 63
11 Patrick Magee Bioengineering development of human
respiratory life support systems for use in space.
64
12 Maria Stokes, Martin
Warner & Paul
Muckelt
Optimising movement for safe and eective
human performance in space
66
13 Timothy Etheridge &
Nathaniel J.
Szewczyk
Life sciences research for space exploration and
habitation
67
14 Jim Richards Investigating the eects of micro- and hypo-
gravity on musculoskeletal deconditioning
68
15 Matthew Dickinson The use of wearable robotics/exoskeletons to
assist movement in dierent environments and
rehabilitation
70
16 Nina Vaidya &
Harish Bhaskaran
Functional Optics as Ultra-lightweight 3D Printed
Space Components
71
17 Marcus Ranney Translating the lessons of remote work and
prolonged isolation of astronauts to the modern
day workforce of the new normal
73
18 John R Cain Protecting the health of astronauts using the
principles of astronautical hygiene
75
19 Richard Skipworth Muscle wasting and human spaceight 77
20 Ashfaq Gilkar Medical Devices Utilisation and Connectivity with
relation to Human Spaceight
78
21 Hagan Bayley Printed Tissues in Space 80
22 Nathan Smith Psychology and Human Spaceight 81
23 Peter D Hodkinson,
Rochelle Velho
Space Medicine in the UK 82
24 Thomas Smith Medical Aspects of Commercial Spaceight 83
25 Franklin L Nobrega Modulating the astronaut’s microbiome during
long space missions
85
Making the case for Why Space? The
opportunity for Health & Life Science
Innovation
46 47
1. Commercial services – fast-track access to
microgravity
Dr Ramón Nartallo, Kayser Space Ltd.
Overview
Gaining access to microgravity facilities to perform experiments relevant to Biology, Medicine,
Biochemistry, etc., is key to understanding the phenomena behind observed eects. This has
traditionally required competing for space agency funding and ight opportunities; those successful,
often waiting years for custom hardware to be designed, manufactured, space qualied and own
into space. Through the Bioreactor Express commercial service, Kayser is able to fast-track the
development of customer experimental hardware and its deployment in the International Space
Station (ISS). Working in collaboration with ESA, Bioreactor Express uses scheduled ISS-bound
launches and provides exclusive access to the KUBIK incubator.
Related Case Experiences
Building on experimental hardware developed by Kayser for the successful ESA BIOROCK mission,
the Bioreactor Express service was kicked-o with the BioAsteroid mission, a University of Edinburgh
funded bio-mining experiment completed within a calendar year, that ew to the ISS with SpaceX-21
in December 2020. The automatic culturing devices were incubated in the KUBIK ISS facility for three
weeks, allowing bacteria to grow on a substrate of biocompatible meteoritic material. The capsule
splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on January 14th 2021. At lest two other commercially funded
experiments are scheduled with Bioreactor Express in upcoming SpaceX ights to the ISS.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Through the current government investment in space ports, and the existing industry-leading
manufacturers of small satellites and launch systems, the UK is uniquely placed to lead the
commercialisation of access to space. With its own UK base, Kayser specialises in the development of
bioincubators for space applications: hand sized laboratories equipped with electronics and
mechanical parts that execute experimental protocols automatically, allowing for the growth,
treatment and xation of biological specimens cultured in microgravity. For us to be able to run a
viable commercial service, the provision of life science experimental hardware needs to become
more agile, standardised and much cheaper and quicker to implement. A market analysis and
business plan based on actual demand for experiments on the ISS, shows that a viable commercial
service such as Bioreactor Express will start to turn a prot within three years of operations. This is
after taking into account the necessary initial investment in hardware devices and containers, that
could be easily adapted to dierent life science experiments and own multiple times. This approach
removes the large costs and long lead times associated with hardware design, manufacture and
qualication, thus making access to the microgravity environment aordable and fast.
Following this approach, Kayser is currently working with The Institute of Cancer Research and
Imperial College London on the denition of three separate cancer research related experiments,
where microgravity can provide a signicant advantage. In all three cases, we are looking to dene
experiments that can be technically implemented by exploiting and/or adapting existing bioincubator
technologies.
Going forward, Kayser, in collaboration with several leading UK universities, is embarking on a
programme to develop sensors for bioreactors that would enable a range of in-situ analysis and
monitoring activities of live samples, thus removing the requirement for samples to be brought back
to Earth. These advances would enable the deployment of fully autonomous bioreactor systems on
other platforms (e.g. cubesats) and environments (such as the lunar surface or Mars) where sample
return is not feasible.
Looking further ahead, Kayser has been selected by ESA as a “sub-aggregator” of commercial
payloads for the Space Rider platform and there are similar commercial prospects for the future
space Gateway. The KUBIK facility itself could be adapted to other Low Earth Orbit platforms that are
under development to exploit the post-ISS era, such as Dreamchaser or the Dragon Orbital Capsule.
The Bioreactor Express service itself will be extended through the development of experiment
hardware with built-in sensors for deployment in external space platforms and free-ying cubesats.
2: Designing experiments for space: assisting
the process
Gianluca Neri, Kayser Space Ltd.
Overview
This contribution to the “Why Space” paper reviews the context and approach to developing new
space experiments in the eld of the Life Sciences in the UK. The current means for funding and
developing research experiments for ight on the available microgravity platforms are assessed, with
particular attention to the role played by Space Agencies, both at national and international level. The
share of UK-led investigations on the International Space Station (currently the most important
platform available for microgravity research) and the strength and weaknesses of the UK R&D
ecosystem are discussed, including the support provided by the public sector. In the conclusions, we
address ways in which the process of conceiving and designing new experiments in microgravity
could potentially be improved and exploited by the UK space community, and highlight how these
endeavours can ultimately benet society in general.
Related Case Experiences
The UK scientic community and industry play a leading role in space research and endeavour in
general and, in the Health and Life Science sector, are particularly active in the elds of Astrobiology
and Human Physiology. The UK has the potential to be a centre of excellence in astrobiology, its
scientic community is largely constituted in the Astrobiology Society of Britain, with at least 24
academic institutions having centres, departments or institutes working in the eld. The collaboration
between King’s College and the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine has produced intense research
activity on fundamental questions regarding human physiological functions and adaptation during
spaceight, as well as impact on health. The outcome is a number of publications on gravity loading
countermeasures systems. At Northumbria University they are actively working with the European
Astronaut Centre (EAC) on Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation.
In terms of National programmatic support to Health and Life Science research in space, most of the
UK’s involvement in human spaceight and research is channelled through the European Space
Agency (ESA). At the 2012 ESA Ministerial Council, the UK Space Agency made its rst contribution to
the International Space Station (ISS) and ESA’s European Life and Physical Sciences Programme
(ELIPS). At the most recent Council (November 2019), an annual investment for £374 million over the
next 5 years was pledged.
Despite the opportunity presented by the almost 10-year long partnership with ESA, only ve of the
250 experiments carried out on board the ISS by ESA (as listed in the NASA Space Station Research &
48 49
50 51
Technology portal (www.nasa.gov/iss-science) are UK-led experiments, three of which have the same
PI. Other UK-led experiments in the database were part of the UK’s National Principia Mission, an
educational / outreach activity performed during Tim Peake’s long-duration ight, hence not
subjected to a peer reviewed process. Given the excellent R&D level of the UK research institutions
and technology innovators, there clearly is a mismatch between the strength and interest of the UK
academic community in space life sciences and the limited presence of UK-led research programmes
in the ISS. This is in turn compounded by the fact that the UK research councils have not traditionally
considered supporting access to the ISS as they would for any other laboratory facility.
This relative lack of success in deploying experiments in space can only derive from the small number
of successful applications, in part due to a poor level of awareness of what the space environment
(and microgravity in particular) can oer, but also due to a lack of knowledge of and support available
regarding the processes and procedures to access it. There is evidence of proposed projects that,
while having a solid scientic purpose, lack an actually feasible implementation concept, or are not
properly engineered for the space environment targeted, or fail to meet programmatic, logistics
and/or cost constraints. In most cases, this is due to the experiment proposer not having deep
knowledge of the demanding requirements and constraints of the space environment, or adequate
support to circumvent this limitation. This is why UK industry with specialist knowledge in designing
for space must be engaged at an early stage, in order to conceive feasible and eective programmes.
It is in this context that the 2020 call of the UK Space Agency for feasibility studies of new
experiments in microgravity was very welcomed. Among the projects funded by this initiative, it is
worth mentioning two new experiments in the eld of the Life Sciences. One is led by the University
of Liverpool, aimed at investigating whether mitochondria are the key regulator of muscle loss in
microgravity conditions and during the ageing process on earth, with the aim of helping identify the
nature of exercise protocols that can contribute to modify mitochondrial changes. These could be
important ndings for the prevention of physical frailty and the promotion of Healthy Ageing. A
second study, granted to Imperial College London, focuses on tumoral cells replication and the
eectiveness of drug delivery through an innovative class of nano-carriers based on graphene
nanoplatelets doped with a nanostructured semiconducting material. The experiments conducted in
microgravity will help determining the role of gravity behind the mechanisms of drug delivery. Both
studies are supported by Kayser Space as the industrial partner, to derive the technical and
programmatic feasibility of the proposed experiments. We believe this is the most ecient
mechanism to promote research and innovation in space successfully.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Recommendations and Conclusions
The public sector should invest in nurturing a culture of operating in space, by oering grants to
enable Health and Life Science research that uses space as the test-bed for investigations that are
not possible on Earth, but that nonetheless help to improve life on Earth.
We would also encourage the coordination between the UK Space Agency and National Research
Councils, in order to promote the space environment as a next-generation ‘laboratory facility’ to be
exploited in any research eld, particularly where the lack of gravity can help unmask other processes
at play. Through the recently established ISS commercial exploitation programme, access to state-of-
the-art space facilities can now be gained by contracting a number of approved commercial suppliers,
making the process of deploying a new experiment in microgravity eminently aordable and quick.
In addition, ESA member states participating in the ISS programme, which includes the UK, can have
direct access to ISS resources for national experiments. Harmonisation of calls for research grants
with a rm National microgravity exploitation plan would lead to outstanding programmes that,
supported by expert industrial partners, could be deployed within a reasonable budget and tight
schedule.
The potential terrestrial returns are undoubtedly attractive, as demonstrated by the two new
research studies mentioned above, including economic benets that could derive from, for example,
new drug delivery mechanisms in cancer treatment. Maturing theories, potential applications and
valuable products all can arise from the knowledge and capabilities generated through new
experiments designed for microgravity research activities. As this process unfolds, products and
services derived from microgravity R&D are generating commercial activity and social benets.
3. Dedicated Return: The Opportunity for
Health and Life Sciences O-ISS
Joshua Western – CEO, Space Forge
Overview
The benets of conducting health and life science experiments in space have long been observed.
The combined vacuum and microgravity environment, which cannot be replicated on Earth, have
ensured space remains an environment where pharmaceutical, virological and pathological
discoveries, treatments and potential cures can be accelerated. Since the inauguration of the
International Space Station, the opportunities to access the space environment have grown
immensely. From ESA experiments in nanoparticles to replace traditional antioxidants to commercial
R&D from pharmaceutical companies such as Merck seeking to improve cancer drug delivery.
The ability to access the ISS for life science experiments can come in many forms - though national
and commercial space entities. To a greater or lesser extent, all these platforms:
Use shared infrastructure which can be subject to political interests
Balance competing and often conicting payload requirements
Take up to 5 years for experiment approval
Have long lead times to experiment commencement
Have issues with achievable cleanliness and disruptions to microgravity from frequent maneuvers
and dockings
Oer limited ability for experiment return and the few vehicles that can return have hard landings
Space Forge is developing a platform for health and life science experimentation to overcome these
barriers.
Opportunity
Low cost access to space, and the relative ease in which the environment can be exploited through
the ISS and small satellites have fueled a new era of the space economy coupled with innovation.
However, the missing lynchpin of a sustainable in-space ecosystem for research and development, is
return. The opportunities to return from space are few and far between. They primarily rely on
coming back from the ISS with solutions such as Dragon or Soyuz. ISS Capsules like Dragon only
come back between 4-6 times a year, are dicult to access for commercial entities or small research
platforms (astronaut constraints, national experiments etc.) and return at a highly accelerated G-load
ending in a high shock impact as they land on Earth. A return solution which can oer gentle de-orbit
and touchdown, coupled with extended stays in space o-ISS to access a superior space
52 53
environment would unlock new H&LS applications and R&D opportunities.
Space Forge is developing the ForgeStar suite of platforms. These platforms are deployed on a
conventional launch to a minimum orbit of 500km for dedicated experimentation and R&D for
individual customers. Our platform is designed to stay in space for any time ranging from 10 days to
6 months, when a precision commanded return is initiated. The ForgeStar suite will oer payload
capacity from 3kg to 75kg. The ForgeStar can overcome the barriers and issues associated with
accessing the ISS:
Oer a dedicated platform for H&LS dedicated to a single user.
Be compliant with BSL2+ research.
Return on demand, preserving experiment integrity.
Compatible with a range of applications such as uid dynamics, protein crystallisation and lunar/
planetary gravity simulation.
Oer regular ight opportunities throughout the year.
Space Forge is transforming how health and life sciences can leverage the space environment for
research and development. Our ight opportunities commence in 2022.
4. Children in Space? Planning for Children’s
Development in Space Environments
Prof. Dianne Catherwood & Prof. Graham K. Edgar - Centre for Research in Applied Cognition,
Knowledge, Learning and Emotion (CRACKLE), University of Gloucestershire
Overview
Children will inevitably become members of space environments either as space natives or
immigrants, facing potential developmental challenges in either case. Space communities may try to
replicate terrestrial conditions and children may ultimately adapt to space conditions. Nevertheless,
there may still be developmental hazards such as reduced gravity, ionizing radiation and restrictive
habitats. Research with other species suggests that native space children may face risks to
conception, prenatal development, birth and early postnatal survival, while evidence from astronauts
indicates that immigrant space children may require physical and psychological adjustments. It is
timely to begin serious consideration of policies, strategies and material innovations to support the
safe, eective development of children in space.
Related Case Experiences²
There is no informed discussion as yet of the full spectrum of children’s potential development in
space conditions. Of course there are no case studies of children in space, but there is useful
evidence for adult astronauts and the ospring of other species, highlighting risks from microgravity
for muscular and bone strength and for sensory systems such as those for balance and vision.
Research on risky developmental environments on Earth also oers insights. For example, children
raised in institutions that restrict early exploratory behaviour have poorer sensori-motor
development, while childhood radiation exposure leads to physical malformations including of the
brain. Similar concerns arise from research regarding eects of restrictive developmental
environments for other animals, such as visual decits resulting from limited visual conditions in early
life.
Such evidence highlights the need to plan for appropriate developmental environments in space,
especially to enable:
Protection from ill eects of microgravity and radiation on physical growth
Support for vestibular- proprioceptive (balance) and movement development with exercises,
tools and child-friendly spaces
Appropriate stimulation for sensory development (e.g., adequate illumination and stimulation for
colour, pattern and depth vision and ways to prevent ocular changes from microgravity)
Educational programmes providing skills and knowledge for the local space conditions (e.g.,
terrain and astronomical environment).
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving Research and Innovations
We are preparing a manuscript and book on these issues, drawing on our research backgrounds in
developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience and human factors in aerospace. To expand the
discussion however, an invitation could be extended to agencies and academics to develop working
papers, publications, an online presence, workshops and research projects. There is no group
currently addressing children’s general development in space, although Developmental Psychology
groups and the UK and other Space Agencies could encompass this concern. For example, it may t
within the focus of the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (NASA, ESA, etc.) on
reproductive and early biological development in space.
Alongside the fundamental aim of protecting the well-being of children in space, there is considerable
potential here for innovative technologies and techniques for supporting children’s space
development. For example, children’s postural and movement development requires interaction with
the physical environment, but this may be hazardous in space habitats and terrain. Nevertheless,
materials could be designed to support this development in space, such as protective and exible
apparel, child-friendly mobility devices, toys and games adapted to low gravity and child-focussed
space habitats. Such items may also prove of terrestrial value for children with movement disabilities.
In sum, a seminal group is needed to develop ideas, policies, publications, research and materials to
plan for and support the development of children in space. Failure to fully consider this issue may
lead to poor developmental outcomes in space colonies and possibly the loss of those communities.
References
1. Catherwood, D. & Edgar, G. K. (in preparation). Children in space: the challenges and promise for
children’s development in space environments.
2. Clément, G. & Reschke, M. F. (2008). Neuroscience in space. New York: Springer.
3. Gunnar, M.R. & Reid, B. M. (2019). Early Deprivation Revisited: Contemporary Studies of the
Impact on Young Children of Institutional Care. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 1,
93–118.
4. Hladik, D. & Tapio, S. (2016). Eects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian brain. Mutation
Research, 770, 219-230.
5. Pechenkova, et al., (2010). Alterations of functional brain connectivity after long-duration
54 55
spaceight as revealed by fMRI. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, Article 761.
6. Roberts, D. R. et al. (2019). Prolonged microgravity aects human brain structure and function.
American Journal Neuroradiology,40, 1878-1885.
7. Ronca, A. E. (2003). Studies towards birth and early mammalian development in space. Adv.
Space Research, 32, 1483-90.
8. Ronca, A. E., (2008). Orbital Spaceight during pregnancy shapes function of mammalian
vestibular system. Behavioural Neuroscience, 122, 224–232.
9. Sekulic´, S. R., et al. (2005). The foetus cannot exercise like an astronaut: gravity loading is
necessary for the physiological development during second half of pregnancy. Medical
Hypotheses, 64, 221–228.
10. Wakayama, S., et al. (2009). Detrimental eects of microgravity on mouse preimplantation
development in vitro. PlosOne, e6753.
5. Situation awareness is an issue wherever
you are
Prof. Graham K. Edgar & Prof. Dianne Catherwood Centre for Research in Applied Cognition,
Knowledge, Learning and Emotion (CRACKLE), University of Gloucestershire
Overview
The ‘human factor’ has long been recognised as one of the most signicant factors underlying errors
and accidents and is an area that needs further consideration for space programmes. As equipment
becomes increasingly reliable, the humans operating it stay the same. Space environments will
provide new and unusual challenges for all task components (human and machine). Having a human
in the loop provides the possibility of novel and creative problem-solving in unusual situations.
Unfortunately, humans can bring the same creativity to errors. The literature carries many examples
of ‘fool-proof’ systems that have been severely compromised by the ingenuity of humans.
The ideal system, from a human factors point-of-view is one that requires no instructions to operate.
It is so intuitive that the operator will ‘naturally’ use it correctly. The next best option is to have a
system that the user (through training or even from reading the instructions) understands fully. To
do this, the user has to be aware of the right information at the right time (note, this is not the same
as the information being potentially available) and, crucially, understand it.
Having an awareness of the right information may be referred to as ‘situation awareness’ (SA)
whereas making sense of it is ‘situation understanding’ (SU). We believe that both are crucial to
eective operation in any environment, but especially so in space. A lack of SA and/or SU in space
operations and conditions may lead to potentially life-threatening errors.
Related Case Experiences²
We have developed models of, and methods for measuring, SA and SU and these have been
successfully applied to improving performance in safety-critical situations, such as reghting (see, for
example, the FireFront project: https://refront.eu), obstetrics and command and control.
Uniquely, these techniques allow assessment of SA and SU, together with individual tendencies to
accept or reject information as being relevant to the task. This latter measure is important, as a
tendency to reject information as irrelevant means an operator is likely to overlook something
important, whereas a tendency to accept too much information carries the danger of overload – and
missing important details in the ‘noise’. Furthermore, we have developed measures that compare
what individuals think they know against what they actually know. A disjunct between these two
aspects of SA/SU can underpin some truly catastrophic errors.
The FireFront project has demonstrated the utility of SA measures by revealing that there may be
cultural dierences in aspects of SA; something that may important in applications (such as in space)
where teams are multi-national and multi-cultural.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving Research and Innovations
Optimising SA and SU carries enormous benets in terms of reducing errors with the consequent
loss of equipment and even life. Our measurement techniques can be run as simple procedures on
a variety of platforms (even mobile ‘phones) that can be used in training and also for users to self-test
their own information-handling biases – providing insights applicable across a wide variety of
situations. Such testing and training could be applicable to all those involved in space programmes –
in whatever capacity.
We wish to highlight the importance of human factors in space and are further developing the
techniques described above to link in with the underpinning neuroscience, to develop remote
monitoring of brain activity to identify ‘danger states’ when the chances of errors are increased.
References
1. Arendtsen, B., Baker, S., Bertels, M., Brookes, D., Catherwood, D., Christiansen, K., . . . Wenarski, G.
(2016, November). Firemind: Trialling a new tool for training re and rescue service decision-
making. International Fire Professional(18), 14-17.
2. Catherwood, D., Edgar, G. K., Nikolla, D., Alford, C., Brookes, D., Baker, S., & White, S. (2014).
Mapping brain activity during loss of situation awareness: an EEG investigation of a basis for top-
down inuence on perception. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and
Ergonomics Society, 56(8), 1428-1452.
3. Catherwood, D., Edgar, G. K., Sallis, G., Medley, A., & Brookes, D. (2012). Fire Alarm or False Alarm?!
Decision-making “Bias” of Fireghters in Training Exercises. International Journal Emergency
Services, 1(2), 135-158.
4. Davis, S., Edgar, G. K., Strachan, B., Bahl, R., & Catherwood, D. (2015). Loss of Situation Awareness
Linked to Interruptions during Cardiotocograph Monitoring in a Day Assessment Unit. Paper
presented at the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society 17th Annual Conference, London.
5. Edgar, G. K., Catherwood, D., Baker, S., Sallis, G., Bertels, M., Edgar, H. E., . . . Whelan, A. (2018).
Quantitative Analysis of Situation Awareness (QASA): Modelling and Measuring Situation
Awareness using Signal Detection Theory. Ergonomics, 61(6), 762-777.
doi:10.1080/00140139.2017.1420238
6. Edgar, G. K., & Edgar, H. E. (2007). Using Signal Detection Theory to Measure Situation Awareness:
The Technique, The Tool (QUASA), the TEST, the Way Forward. In M. Cook, J. Noyes, & Y.
Masakowski (Eds.), Decision making in complex environments (pp. 373-385). Aldershot, UK:
Ashgate.
7. Thoelen, F., Vastmans, J., Blom Andersen, N., Bøhm, M., Holm, L. O. C. N., Arendtsen, B., . . . Walker,
S. (2020). FireFront: A new tool to support training in Fireground Situation Awareness, Situation
Understanding and Bias. International Fire Professional, 34, Names alphabetically by country and
then surname.
56 57
6. Life sciences and microgravity
Daniel Campbell - SpacePharma Limited
Overview
The microgravity environment of space provides unique conditions for better understanding of
physiologic and pathologic processes and has a substantial scientic, technological, and commercial
potential which is leading to a paradigm change and a revolution in life sciences and health-related
applications.
Studying the physical chemistry of macromolecules in reduced-gravity environments enables
research in the absence of gravity-induced surface constraints, convection, shear forces,
sedimentation/stratication, and hydrostatic pressure.
Such studies can promote elucidation of protein 3D structures, improvement of protein
crystallization, development of new monoclonal antibodies, the discovery of new drug polymorphism,
self-assembly of biomolecules, pharmaceutical studies of microencapsulation, drug delivery systems,
behaviour, the stability of colloidal formulations and more.
The microgravity in space also aects all levels of biological organisation, including cells, tissues,
organs, and organisms, often in unique ways. Thus, microgravity and space research enable new
understanding of living systems and novel directions of pharmaceutical research.
The fact that biological systems are modulated in space allows identication of novel pathways that
regulate gene expression, enhance stem cells proliferation and dierentiation.
Additionally, ageing and prolonged microgravity exposure during spaceight share some notable
detrimental eects on human physiology making the microgravity environment a unique, attractive
and accelerated, non-invasive tool for developing new anti-ageing and neurodegenerative diseases
therapeutic treatments. Also, bacterial virulence, pathogenicity, and resistance to antibiotics have
been shown to increase in space.
Related Case Experiences
The accumulated experience on board the International Space Station (ISS), as well as on board
SpacePharma’s launched satellites, demonstrates the considerable advantages oered by
microgravity in understanding the mechanism of antibiotic drug resistance by bacteria and the
potential for discovery of new antimicrobial agents.
An experiment designed by Professor Lee Cronin, the University of Glasgow Regius Chair of
Chemistry and Founding Scientic Director of the Cronin Group Plc, has been launched to space over
SpacePharma’s satellite, seeing digital chemistry being trialled in space for the rst time.
The UK Space Agency has been recently making funding available for feasibility studies into possible
UK-led experiments that could be carried out and deliver high-quality science on the International
Space Station (ISS) or other commercially available microgravity and space environment facilities,
such as SpacePharma’s satellites and microgravity labs.
Under this grant, SpacePharma and the Cronin Group have conducted a study dubbed “Space
ChemPU”, which was concerned with optimised automation of chemical synthesis in microgravity, a
key process for new drugs generation. Next phases will include an in-orbit demonstration/validation
and platform commercialisation.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
The knowledge gained through microgravity research can facilitate drug screening and improve drug
design, delivery, and storage, thereby contributing to the development of new technologies and
therapeutic products.
Another area of innovation is the improved space-grown tissue engineering of human organoids in
the absence of gravity in tailored organ-on-chips, as preferred ex-vivo pharmacological models for
screening of new drug candidates.
Drug companies have already been performing drug research on accelerated models for
osteoporosis and muscle atrophy, protein crystallization, vaccine development and other elds of
research. Such advances are expected to greatly contribute to new advances with applications both
in space and on Earth.
Microgravity in space oers a wealth of new opportunities in the era of space commercialisation for
innovative, aordable, accessible, autonomous, and unmanned microgravity lab platforms mounted
on remotely controlled small satellites, new Space shuttles and Space stations.
SpacePharma UK-based operations leverage existing and evolving sovereign UK capabilities to build,
launch to orbit, operate and even safely return such microgravity laboratories. Its Space-proven
remotely controlled miniaturised lab platforms can also have valuable terrestrial applications,
especially in harsh and hazardous environments. With one of the strongest pharmaceutical sectors
globally, the UK is poised to leverage and lead microgravity research and manufacturing.
7. Space Psychology and Human Factors:
Dr Iya Whiteley - Centre for Space Medicine, University College London, UK
Overview
Since Margaret Thatcher withdrew UK participation in the Human Space Flight programme, and
before the UK Space Agency was formed, one of the rst case studies in Life Sciences in the UK was
our ESA funded General Study Programme, Tools of Psychological Support during long duration
missions to the Moon and Mars. This study was fundamental in creating a Technology Readiness
Level-based roadmap and systematically mapping out the areas of psychological and social support
techniques and technologies required in preparation for exploration missions beyond Earth’s orbit.
Many of techniques and technologies have been since advanced to be used in space and applied in
terrestrial settings.
Related Case Experiences
Case Study 1: ESA study, Tools of Psychological Support during long duration missions (Dr Iya
Whiteley, Principal Investigator (PI), 2006-2007): Dened a range of tools aimed at providing
psychological support to the crew during long-duration exploration missions. The investigation
started from identifying the type of issues the crew will need to deal with. Then groups of
interacting factors were systematically identied within the Psychological Issues Matrix (i.e. Psy-
Matrix), which trigger the issues. The existing astronaut psychological support model was
extended and the Embedded Psychological Support Integrated for LONg-duration missions
(EPSILON) was dened. A new model of psychological support model of astronauts proposed and
roadmap for technology developed agreed with ESA experts.
58 59
Case Study 2: ESA Study, IO: Expert Tool to Support Crew Autonomous Operations in Complex
Human Spacecraft (Dr Iya Whiteley, PI, 2008-2010): The study outlined user and system
requirements and prototyped a creative problem solving tool, Crew Expert Tool IO (CET IO).
Designed for crew autonomous operations during future long-duration exploration missions to
the Moon and Mars, CET IO was intended to use only available resources on the mission. Great
considerations were taken to account for capabilities and limitations of executive cognitive
functions during safety and time critical situations. CET IO was successfully tested with three ESA
astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Case Study 3: VULCAN – Voice and content analysis tool to detect fatigue in exploration missions
to the Moon and Mars (Dr Iya Whiteley, PI, 2016-2017): VULCAN was designed to identify crew
members state of well-being in their natural operating environment without intrusive testing and
any requirement for crew time. This toolset, through periodic analysis of the crew member
communications designed to predict onset of fatigue and other well-being parameters and signal
to the mission control. The user did not require special expertise to interpret the VULCAN
analysis results.
Case Study 4: iVOICE – Voice analysis to detect fatigue in astronauts (Dr Iya Whiteley, PI, 2012-
2021): Monitoring, detecting and predicting unsafe for operation levels of fatigue is fundamental
to prevent incidences and accidents in professions where human lives are at risk, in domains
such aerospace, mining, transportation and medicine. UCL Centre for Space Medicine and
Psychology & Language Sciences (Prof Mark Huckvale) are leading the development of this non-
intrusive, objective and accessible technology for mobile devices – iVOICE. It assesses fatigue
through a short audio recording. Originally designed for space operations, over the past two
years iVOICE has already been successfully trailed in the mining industry and did have initial
testing in real-time operations in the aviation industry.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
COVID-19 pandemic isolation and restrictions in external support and physical movement conditions
parallels future settlements beyond Earth Orbit and vice versa. Funding is required to expand our
understanding of how to prevent deterioration through continuous improvement of our well-being in
independent-reliant living conditions; how to tap into and develop our human potential, exceptional
capacities demonstrated in extraordinary conditions, investigate self-mastery achieved by time-
honoured contemplative practices, using only nature's resources, sounds, movement and breathing,
for example, forms of meditation, yoga, qigong and acupressure.
Subtle shifts occur in levels of consciousness, cognitive resources and states of well-being when
people are moved to new operational environments and new living conditions. These shifts are not
so subtle when unprepared and in the absence of a regular restorative practices. As a human race,
we have recently experienced these shifts aected by the global pandemic situation. These changes
will also aect future space settlers. How well we, as a human race, adapt to new living conditions
now and in future Solar System exploration missions will depend on how prepared we are to
recognise and acknowledge the onset, to monitor and treat it.
Going forward, work by UK scientists should explore what we already know about human
attunements to new environments and how to be proactive in holistic prevention, monitoring and
restorative methods to address these challenges. For deep space, we need to investigate potential
shifts occurring in physical, mental and spiritual well-being and changes in interaction among Earth
mission support (rather than a control) centre and exploration crews living and working in their extra-
terrestrial contexts.
Ultimately, this work would prepare us to venture into deep space and meet challenges we face on
Earth now and in the future.
8. Physical requirements for long-term
spaceight and extra-terrestrial colonisation
Dr Martin Braddock FRSB, FRAS - Sherwood Observatory, Nottinghamshire
Overview
The physiological ramications of living and working in microgravity and at elevated exposure levels to
space radiation have been well documented. Exercise regimes and therapeutic intervention
strategies have been devised and implemented to reduce soft and hard tissue atrophy during
spaceight. Nevertheless, eective countermeasures for both physiological and psychological eects
of long-term ( >6 months) space travel in microgravity to permit establishment and colonisation of
lunar and Martian habitats at <1 x g remain signicant challenges. Moreover, adapting habitats to an
environment where exposure to radiation is within acceptable life-time exposure limits will be pivotal
for the construction and maintenance of ergonomically sustainable environments capable of
supporting an acceptable quality of life for both astronauts in ight and for future colonists of other
worlds.
Related Case Experiences
Work by UK based scientists throughout the UK network of astronomy societies has contributed
publications which advance scientic understanding of the application of the drug discovery and
development processes to tackle problems associated with long term space travel.
International collaboration of scholars has provided input into and publication of thought papers
conceptualising the challenges associated with lunar and Martian colonisation and the role
psychology and an understanding of human psyche may play in astronaut selection and
maintenance of a harmonised and optimised environment.
Members of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Policy Group have contributed to the development
of the UK Research and Development Roadmap¹ which includes input for Future frameworks for
international collaboration on research and innovation and the establishment of the UK
Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).
Several examples include:
Crowd-sourcing of ideas from amateur and semi-professional astronomers drawn from 22 UK
astronomy societies has operationalised and published the application of socio-technical
systems models for the potential colonisation of Mars².
Newton’s Astronomical Society and Sherwood Observatory has consulted SMEs and published on
the challenges facing the development of space medicine, the opportunities aorded by the
space environment for drug discovery and the potential role of human enhancement to facilitate
long term space travel³,⁴.
Provision of UK input into thought paper generation and publication⁵-⁸.
Impact and terrestrial benet: driving research and innovation
In concert with the case study provided by Dr Nathan Smith, we would propose involvement of the
broad scientic community in training and providing research facilities for graduates, post-graduates
and doctoral level scientists on:
60 61
Drug discovery and development as applied to space travel and for the benet of patients on
Earth
The potential for human enhancement for risk mitigation strategies
Communication and outreach to the general public on the application of UK based technology
and expertise to problem solving, exemplifying the potential for space harboured research to
benet humankind
References
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-research-and-development-roadmap
2. Braddock, M., Wilhelm, C.P., Romain, A. et al (2019). Theoret. Issues Ergonomics Sci. 21:131-152.
3. Ryder, P and Braddock, M. (2020). In: Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals. Springer publishers,
Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_32-1.
4. Braddock, M. (2020). In: Human enhancements for lunar, Martian and future missions to the
outer planets. Hardcover ISBN 978-3-030-42035-2, eBook ISBN 978-3-030-42036-9 Springer
publishers.
5. Campa R, Szocik K, Braddock M. (2019) Technological Forecasting and Social Change 143:162-
171.
6. Szocik, K, Braddock M. (2019). The New Bioethics doi.org/10.1080/20502877.2019.1667559.
7. Williams, M. and Braddock, M. (2019). Studia Humana 8: 3-18.
8. Szocik, K, Abood, S, Impey, C. et al (2020). Futures 117: article 102514.
9. Szocik, K, Wojiowicz T, Braddock M. Space Policy 54; 101388.
9. Human spaceight research and sport
& exercise science: interactions and
synergies
Associate Prof Adam Hawkey - Solent University Southampton
Overview
Sport and exercise science provides insights into how humans can perform in a variety of settings
and helps to address a number of issues relating to health and human performance including:
how to enhance athletic performance;
how the body responds to physical activity;
how to prevent and treat sporting injuries;
how to prevent and treat chronic diseases;
how the body reacts to extreme environments.
Exercise forms a crucial part of human spaceight and continues to be
used as a countermeasure against the negative physiological impact of
prolonged stays in micro- and reduced-gravity environments. There is a
scientic synergy of using human spaceight to model ageing on earth,
with bedrest studies regularly used to help predict the long-term eects
of spaceight on a variety of human systems. Reloading of the
musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems after spaceight and in
‘return-to-play’ scenarios in sport both oer an opportunity to address the reduced physical tness
(e.g., bone density, aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance) experienced and better
understand how this impairs human performance, and increases injury risk. Research conducted in a
space-based environment, including the development of new technologies and training protocols,
can therefore directly benet those in a terrestrial environment; and vice versa.
Related Case Experiences
Solent University has a thriving sport and exercise science department, and sta are currently
involved in a variety of projects that would benet from the opportunity to be further involved in
space-related research. These projects are focused on the application of principles learnt from
research investigating the physiological eects of human spaceight and the technology developed to
improve astronaut health, performance, comfort and eciency. Two main themes of investigation
currently underway within the Faculty of Sport, Health and Social Sciences are:
Application of whole-body vibration training (WBVT) and hand-held vibration training (HHVT) to
improve health and athletic performance (¹-⁶)
The use of WBVT, believed to have been rst developed as a training tool for early cosmonauts, has
now been widely incorporated into the training regimes of recreational and elite athletes. Solent sta
continue to be actively researching, publishing, and disseminating knowledge on the application and
ecacy of WBVT and HHVT.
Exposure to reduced gravity levels during rehabilitation from lower-limb injuries (⁷,⁸)
Image Courtesy of Adam
Hawkey - Solent University
Southampton
62 63
Working with Olympic/Paralympic athletes and English Premier League/English Football League
teams, Solent sta are assessing how training under reduced levels of gravity (>0.2 g), using a
specialised anti-gravity treadmill, can be used in both the performance enhancement and
rehabilitation of athletes.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving Research and Innovation
The importance of physical activity on both our physical and mental health has been heightened due
to recent events surrounding COVID-19. In addition, physical activity is now regularly used to improve
patients’ tness prior to surgery, and to help combat epidemics such as obesity and diabetes; all of
which are helping us to live healthier lives, for longer. At the other end of the spectrum, high
performance sport is embracing, and benetting from, scientic research; as a result, the current
scope and demand for the application of sport and exercise science in a variety of contexts continues
to grow. In the future, greater research collaboration and knowledge exchange activities between the
UK human spaceight and sports science and rehabilitation communities would be welcomed.
Ultimately, this increased communication and cooperation, on research projects, product design,
teaching, and outreach, could have a benecial impact on science, society and the economy of the
UK.
References
1. Hawkey, A. and Robbins, D. (2020). Evaluating the eect of vibration on mechanical eciency
during cycling. Asian Exercise and Sport Science Journal, 4(2): 1-13.
2. Hawkey, A. and Dallaway, A. (2020). Application of acute pre-exercise whole body vibration: eects
on concentric torque in lower limb muscles. Biomedical Human Kinetics, 12(1): 157-165.
3. Hawkey, A. (2019). Short-term hand-held vibration training benets handgrip strength in
competitive judokas. Journal of Sport and Human Performance, 7(2): 1-11.
4. Babraj, J. and Hawkey, A. (2017). Improved insulin sensitivity following a short-term whole body
vibration intervention. Al Ameen Journal of Medical Sciences, 10(1): 3-9.
5. Hawkey, A., Rittweger, J. and Rubin, C. (2016). Vibration exercise: evaluating its ecacy and safety
on the musculoskeletal system. The Sport and Exercise Scientist, 50: 26-27.
6. Hawkey, A., Griths, K., Babraj, J. and Cobley, J. (2016). Whole body vibration training and its
implications to age-related performance decrements: an exploratory analysis. Journal of Strength
and Conditioning Research, 30(2): 555-560.
7. “Mission to Mars”. Feature on BBC South Today News. Aired September 17th, 2019. https://
twitter.com/i/status/1306608927531053057
8. “To Mars and back – the eects of space travel on the human body”. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?app=desktop&feature=youtu.be&v=uZqVLOQiD3Q
10. Microalgae biotechnology for space
applications
Dr Matthew P. Davey¹, Prof. Alison G. Smith²,Dr Payam Mehrshahi², Ellen Harrison²,³,
Dr Felice Mastroleo3 & Dr Natalie Leys³
¹ Scottish Association for Marine Science, UK
² University of Cambridge, UK
³ SCK CEN, Belgium
Overview
Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that have the potential to provide a large number of
human life support functions during space ights and on lunar or Martian bases. They would provide
health benets in terms of vitamin, antioxidant and other micronutrient supply as well as crucial
functions such as waste regeneration through carbon sequestration, oxygen evolution and food
production. In addition, they could provide organic material for articial soils should the lunar and
Martian substrate be used as a mineral basis for growing plants (i.e. in situ resource utilisation).
Experiments on microalgae have been performed in space since the 1960’s and more recently on
board the ISS, where there are plans to expand the capacity to enable more advanced experiments
and research of these organisms.
Given the growth in the space sector, the UK is at a pivotal point in leading fundamental, translational
and applied algal research for the health and life support space systems (e.g. within ESA SciSpace
Roadmap 7 - Supporting human habitation in hostile space environments). There is also a very strong
international focus on lunar exploration and countries are adapting their strategic agenda to be part
of it. For example, algal research falls under the current ESA programme remit to “Establish what is
required to enable life (microbes, plants) to survive in the lunar environment”. It is very likely that the
rst European (possibly UK) experiments to grow species on the moon will be with microalgae.
Related Case Experiences
The UK is a world leader in academic (eg. UKRI BBSRC Algae-UK network) and commercial algal
biotechnology and product development and is well placed to taking the lead to advance R&D in this
sector. For example, researchers at the University of Cambridge (Smith, Davey, Mehrshahi, Harrison)
carry out fundamental studies on how vitamins (e.g. B12) are exchanged in algal-bacterial
communities and together with SCK CEN Belgium (Leys, Mastroleo) exploiting these communities for
long term space missions to maintain and improve crew health (funding by the ESA MELiSSA POMP
programme); researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Davey) and SCK CEN
Belgium (Leys) and Bristol (Robson-Brown) are looking to study how variation in the life cycle and
pigment content of dierent algal species can be exploited to improve cell survivorship during long
term space missions.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Algae are increasingly being used as a source of human food and nutrition, fuel and bioremediation
on Earth. However, the biology and processes for enhanced growth, monitoring and scale-up is far
from optimised. The information gained from conducting experiments and the use of algae in space
for human health and life support systems will drive new and exciting research and innovation in this
64 65
sector. For example, eciencies made in microbial strain selection, bioreactor design, growth
monitoring and harvesting for the space sector all have translatable and commercial terrestrial
applications.
The cluster of algal researchers, enterprises and companies across the EU and in the UK mean that
there are potential partnerships that can successfully accelerate these terrestrial applications. In
order to achieve this, and for the UK to maintain and increase its presence in this sector, we view as
imperative a new coordinated programme that facilitates access to, and interactions between,
bioreactor engineering and operation optimisation, robotics and satellite engineers, algal
physiologists, astrobiologists, molecular (micro)biologists, modellers and health and medicine
experts.
11. Bioengineering development of human
respiratory life support systems for use in
space.
Dr Patrick Magee PhD, FRCA, Retired consultant in anaesthesia - Royal United Hospital, Bath |
Past visiting lecturer, University of Bath | Director, Magee Medical Systems Ltd.
Overview
Respiratory support of human life is required in both hospital and inhospitable environments. In
hospital, mechanical ventilation or pressure breathing is delivered to critically ill or surgical patients.
Similar technology is used to support spontaneously breathing users in adverse terrestrial or extra-
terrestrial surroundings. This requires an appropriate gas mixture to a mask-wearing reghter, diver
or mountaineer, or to an aviator or astronaut in an enclosed, pressurised suit or helmet. The
breathing system must provide physiological oxygen partial pressure, excrete carbon dioxide, be
capable of accommodating partial pressure changes, minimise respiratory work and provide thermal
neutrality. In all cases, monitoring is required for oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases, in both
local atmosphere and user.
Related Case Experiences
Because UK involvement in human presence in space to date has been limited, it is not surprising
that there is no evidence of UK manufacturers in that eld of life support, as there are in US, Russia
and Europe. There are UK companies like Luno and 3M Scott, who make breathing hoods and
pressure breathing masks for industrial settings, and companies that make breathing equipment for
diving, such as JFD or Lungsh, and UK medical ventilator manufacturers like Breas, Dyson or Penlon.
With the right interdisciplinary research input, these companies could adapt their expertise and
infrastructure to development and manufacture of space life support systems. Otherwise, a future UK
human space industry will have to rely on the extensive experience of overseas companies like ILC
Dover, Cobham, NPP Zvezda or Dräger.
The author’s experience with respiratory technology includes almost forty years in clinical
anaesthesia and intensive care, with a background in biomedical engineering. In the past he has
undertaken consultancy work on medical life support systems for use in space with Wyle Labs USA
and with the European Space Agency (2001 – 2003)(¹); and more recently (2020) with several UK
companies on ventilator technology for use in the Covid crisis. His research at University of Bath,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, includes a PhD on mathematical modelling and clinical
testing of low ow breathing systems (2014)(²,³), and mathematical modelling of shared ventilator
breathing systems for use with Covid patients (2020)(⁴).
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
With appropriate cooperation, historically lacking between experienced clinicians, respiratory
physiologists and engineers, the technology which is already available for hospital and inhospitable
terrestrial applications described above, could be adapted and developed for use in the inhospitable
environment of space. Appropriate interdisciplinary bioengineering research has the capability to
produce the very best quality systems for users in all environments. It is believed that the expertise
available at Bath University, can assist in the development of the technology described, to the mutual
benet of both the space sector and the clinical sector in the UK, both areas typically underserved by
UK developers and manufacturers.
References
1. 'MarsTechCare' Final Report to European Space Agency on Biomedical Technologies for Crew
Health Control during Long-Duration Interplanetary Manned Missions. Dec 2002. ESA contract
ESTEC no. 16423/02/NL/LvH. Authors: B.Comet (MEDES Toulouse), A. Berthier (MEDES Toulouse),
P.Magee (Postgrad Medical Faculty, Univ. Bath), I. Berry, (CHU Toulouse), J Marescaux, D. Mutter, A
Bouabene (IRCAD Strasbourg).
2. Magee PT: PhD thesis, University of Bath, August 2014. ‘Mathematical Modelling and Clinical
Validation of Low Flow Closed Circle Systems’.
3. Magee P. Circle (CO2 reabsorbing) breathing system: human applications. Review article, Journal
of Engineering in Medicine, part H, Proceedings Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 2017, http://
journals.sagepub.com/eprint/Dhs3fWZJyACWeDpNwI6x/full.
4. du Bois, J., Plummer, A., Gill, R., Flynn, J., Roesner, J., Lee, S., Magee, P, Thornton, M., Padkin, A., Jun
2020. Dataset for BathRC Ventilation model. Bath: University of Bath Research Data Archive.
Dataset for BathRC Ventilation model. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-00816.
66 67
12. Optimising movement for safe and
eective human performance in space
Prof Maria Stokes, Dr Martin Warner & Paul Muckelt - University of Southampton
Overview
Long-duration missions to Mars will require specic inight training, to optimise performance of
manual tasks prior to surface planetary excursions. Recommendations from the ESA Topical Team on
Postmission Exercise (Reconditioning) in 2016, stressed the importance of this preparatory training
(preconditioning). In the absence of live video teleconferencing between astronauts and medical/
training sta on the ground, astronauts will need to self-manage their preconditioning and
reconditioning.
The eects of long-duration missions on the human body are largely unknown but astronauts will
need to prepare for reloading on joints in partial gravity, compounded by weight of the spacesuit and
equipment. We can learn from our terrestrial research on quality of movement with elite athletes and
military populations to protect joints from injury and optimise performance.
Assessment of movement performance would inform Go/No Go criteria for planetary excursions,
ensuring the astronaut can perform tasks safely, accurately and eectively in a coordinated,
controlled manner. Interactive technology (sensors, algorithms, visual feedback) could produce
meaningful results and self-management plans.
To be eective, this research concept will require
multidisciplinary collaboration, using bio-psycho-social
models, including behavioural theory. Partial gravity
simulation will be needed, e.g. parabolic ights.
Related Case Experiences
The Southampton team (M Stokes, M Warner, P Muckelt) has
three strands of research that would be integrated to achieve
the proposed system (outlined in the overview above) for
optimising movement:
1. ESA Myotones project (lead D Blottner, Berlin; UK
researchers supported by UK Space Agency/Science &
Technology Facilities Council, STFC). This involves monitoring astronaut (ESA/NASA) muscle health
via remote guidance throughout 6-month ISS missions. This project has provided valuable
lessons for virtual clinics with patients on Earth during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. Interactive system (Phase 1) for assessment/training of manual tasks, embedding movement
sensors in a body-worn suit (with D Green, King’s College London; R Vaidyanathan, Imperial
College; STFC & FortisNet-funded),
3. Southampton leads international research on assessment and neuromuscular training for
movement quality in athletes and military personnel.
Development of the proposed interactive system would focus on enabling muscles to produce
eective, coordinated movement, whilst integrating monitoring of muscle health.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Facilities similar to the European Astronaut Centre (Cologne) would enable collaboration of UK-wide
groups. A dedicated funding pathway would provide continuity following preliminary studies. A Centre
infrastructure would produce critical mass, and enable capacity building with a career pathway for
innovative young minds to ourish and become world-class space research leaders.
Common themes between UK human space research groups ready for exploitation include:
musculoskeletal health, prevention and management of back pain, optimising performance. The
proposed approach will enable targeted preconditioning and reconditioning to prepare for missions
to outer space.
Potential benets to people on Earth include: prevention of premature frailty with ageing; mobility
after prolonged immobilisation, particularly spinal injury; and patients with long-term neuromuscular
and musculoskeletal conditions. Technological advances would benet remote management of
patients, to accommodate limited healthcare resources; a need that was accelerated during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
13. Life sciences research for space
exploration and habitation
Dr Timothy Etheridge¹ & Prof Nathaniel J. Szewczyk²
¹College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.
²School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK.
Overview
There is a new and unprecedented global drive to explore and colonise other planets, with the
World’s Space Agencies and several private companies all vying to ultimately place boots on the
Moon and Mars. With this comes an urgent need for detailed understanding of the molecules
regulating spaceight maladaptation. This is because exposure to radiation and microgravity
(amongst other environmental stressors) seriously reduces human health that would compromise
longer-term mission performance. However, the precise causes of space-induced health decline are
poorly understood and, consequently, eective therapies remain elusive. Given the inherent
uncertainty surrounding health during prolonged microgravity, a strong space life sciences
programme is an essential component of any safe and realistic human space agenda.
Related Case Experiences
Researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Nottingham have conducted multiple biological
experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS), including the upcoming ‘Molecular Muscle
Experiment 2’ that is the rst UK National ISS payload. Using the small worm C. elegans, these
projects are establishing the reproducible molecular causes of negative health changes in space, and
the ecacy of novel drug and genetic treatments.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Access to space and new research technologies in deep space are two key barriers to establishing a
strong UK space life sciences platform. Commercial space access is gaining traction and various
companies oer ight opportunities across ESA’s newly dened mission priorities: LEO, the Moon and
Mars. Commercial partners provide ISS experiment implementation support, and NASA are
Image Courtesy of Maria Stokes: Remote
guidance of ultrasound imaging of muscle on
ISS (Myotones Project)Credit: ESA & University
of Southamptopn
68 69
commercialising future Moon contracts. Utilising UK-based space implementation partners,
combined with appropriate funding frameworks for science activities by the UK Space Agency and/or
UKRI will nurture expanding UK expertise in space life sciences. Moreover, Agency/UKRI funded
programmes that facilitate technology development (e.g. life support, novel analytical capabilities,
multi-organism hardware) will provide the infrastructure to maximise science- and geo-return.
In particular, understanding the molecules causing space-induced health decline, such as with our
‘Molecular Muscle’ experiments, are necessary to develop targeted countermeasure development.
New space therapeutics will also hold relevance to analogous conditions on Earth, including ageing
and health loss during bed rest/inactivity. Moreover, realistic human space habitation will require
remotely deployed ‘telemedical’ health therapies. The essential need to develop new telemedicine
technologies in space will have important Earth impact, for example in the defence sector where
medical treatments during remote operations are critical to mission success, just as they are with
prolonged space travel. New technologies for deep space life sciences, including our recently
developed miniaturised, remotely operated hardware for real-time in vivo uorescent imaging in
ight, will allow examination of the feasibility and in vivo ecacy of novel telemedical interventions,
such as synthetic drug/biology approaches. Similarly, novel life sciences solutions in space, such as
miniaturised DNA/RNA sequencing, provide new methods for prominent issues on Earth including
remote virus (COVID-19, Ebola) research and surveillance.
14. Investigating the eects of micro- and
hypo-gravity on musculoskeletal
deconditioning
Prof Jim Richards - Allied Health Research unit, University of Central Lancashire
Overview
The development of decomposition EMG to study neuromuscular deconditioning was pioneered by
Professor Carlo DeLuca of the Neuromuscular Research Centre at Boston University. This has
previously been used to explore the eects of microgravity on the neuromuscular control signals into
the muscles by decomposing EMG signals into their constitute Motor Unit Action Potential Trains
(MUAPs). This technique was applied to work funded by NASA (grant 99-E192), which tested
astronauts returning from the International Space Station. This highlighted changes in the individual
Motor Unit (MU) ring rates within lower limb muscles on return to Earth, and provided an insight
into why muscles not only weaken in space but also exhibit poorer motor control after prolonged
exposure to low gravity environments. This is an important issue that is relevant for enhancing the
safety of astronauts in space and improving their health during and following extended exposures to
microgravity.
This technology has continued to develop and it is now possible to wirelessly monitor and
decompose a larger pool of MUs, which can be used to determine how their behaviour is modiable
under dierent conditions. This may provide a way of monitoring deconditioning, and perhaps more
importantly, to develop training protocols to regain neuromuscular control quickly and eciently.
Previous terrestrial work using the decomposition of EMG signals has shown that motor unit (MU)
behaviour may be recorded using surface EMG which can yield information such as MU recruitment
thresholds, ring rates and amplitudes. Previously this has been restricted to isometric tasks, and has
shown that dierent isometric loads change the MU recruitment thresholds and ring rates which
has been used to explore the eects of muscle training, and the eects of age. Recent literature now
suggests that such detail on motor unit behaviour can now be identied during cyclic dynamic
contractions of muscles in the upper and lower limbs, however only a few studies have been
conducted exploring the dierences in motor unit behaviour during concentric and eccentric muscle
contractions, and little or no data exists on how this behaviour changes with speed.
Reection on previous activity in the eld (where pertinent/available)
include:
Previous work by Professor Nick Caplan et al explored spinal musculoskeletal deconditioning
using intramuscular electromyography (EMG) during parabolic zero G ight.
Professor Carlo DeLuca et al tested astronauts returning from the International Space Station
providing an insight into why muscles not only weaken in space but also exhibit poorer motor
control after prolonged exposure to low gravity environments.
Related Case Experiences
Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire currently have a program of work exploring MU
behaviour during the concentric and eccentric phases of dierent exercises performed at dierent
speeds and loads. This has shown the inuence of the load, movement speed, and type of
contraction on motor unit behaviour in relation to the neuromuscular demand. These insights
highlight, for the rst time, the eect and interaction of these modiable factors on MU recruitment
which help to explain their respective roles in motor control and force production, and their
importance in the monitoring of muscle deconditioning. To consolidate and build on this work, we
have strong clinical links and relationships with relevant commercial partners.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
The links between muscle deconditioning in space ight and terrestrial muscle atrophy experienced
by dierent patient groups highlights interesting parallels between the MU recruitment required to
provide the optimum rehabilitation exercise dosage, and that of reducing or preventing muscle
deconditioning during space ight. Our work, and the work of our academic and commercial
collaborators, provides a thriving community of biomechanists, physiologists, clinicians and
innovators, some of whom have previously been involved in space-related projects. The developing
technology to decompose EMG signals is of growing interest in the assessment of patients with
dierent musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. One example of this is our work with
Clinical Neurophysiologists, which is exploring the use of such techniques as novel neurological
assessments, and their use when traditional clinical physiology assessments are dicult to perform.
70 71
15. The use of wearable robotics/
exoskeletons to assist movement in dierent
environments and rehabilitation
Dr Matthew Dickinson - University of Central Lancashire
Overview
Exoskeleton systems have been traditionally focused on manufacturing and their military applications
however, during the development of these systems small members of the research community
looked to develop exoskeletons for the sole purpose of clinical applications. Recently modern
manufacturing techniques such as additive layer manufacturing (ALM) have oered a huge potential
to lower the costs of these devices. In addition, developments of geometry and fabric actuation oer
the possibilities of reduced size, weight and power consumption oering a greater muscular
assistance whilst not compromising performance. Studies have shown that during space ight
astronauts can experience up to a 20% reduction in muscle mass over a 10-days, to counter this
problem large exercise training areas are often set up on the craft, however this relies on these
exercises being perform correctly to provide sucient activation of the muscles to reduce atrophy.
By introducing the exoskeleton system, the potential of designing not just assistive but also resistive
forces could introduce an equivalent muscle usage for astronauts in various gravities.
Related Case Experiences
Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire along with joint partner Tinus Olson are working
on the introduction on new AM produced Exoskeletons for assistive clinical use. Using the benet of
AM technology, the design of these systems has considered muscle function, comfort, and ease of
maintenance. This work has recently developed into a new approach combining a hard passive
structure alongside a soft fabric approach to minimise weight and power consumption.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
July 20th 1969 the rst man walked on the moon, this was a huge achievement for humanity. From
this leap numerous developments have been accredited from the re ghters suit through to the
common handheld vacuum. Our next big step is the mission to Mars, the health of an Astronaut is
imperative if we are ever to achieve a goal such as this. By using AM technology, the maintenance,
modication, and production of components during active missions is possible. However, this also
has many applications outside of space ight with the most apparent to the wider population being
health care. Exoskeletons can come with a high price tag, this limits the accessibility of this
technology as organizations such as the NHS and other health services cannot justify the funding
required to support these. Through the introduction of AM technology manufacturing costs can be
dictated by the methods used for production of the equipment. This approach can be used not only
to support large loads, but also allow assistance in ne control of an individual’s movements. These
maybe provided through ne control of the actuation of the system alongside the associated muscle
activations allowing the control of these movements, thereby creating a controlled sympathetic
motion of the joints, and ensuring the muscular system remains both protected and actively used.
Such systems may not only provide improved performance of ne movements under loads but would
also be able to provide signicant benets in the targeted rehabilitation of specic muscle groups of
the spine, upper and lower limbs.
16. Functional optics as ultra-lightweight 3d
printed space components
Dr Nina Vaidya¹ & Prof Harish Bhaskaran²
¹ California Institute of Technology, USA
² University of Oxford, UK
Overview
3D printing has changed the way we design and fabricate. A key challenge for successful space
missions is to keep the launch costs practical by minimizing the mass [¹]. The main reason for
investigating 3D printing for space applications is the many fold reduction in mass that is possible.
Apart from mass reduction, other space requirements include ability to fabricate bespoke shapes;
use of materials that are operational under radiation, temperature swings, and having low outgassing,
i.e., low total mass loss (TML) in vacuum; and robust assembly. These requirements can be fullled by
3D printing. Optics form a key component of all space missions as visual characterizations are crucial
for the success of space health and life sciences missions. So, can 3D printing be utilized to create
functional opto-electronic devices for space?
3D printing for space is being explored, e.g., 3D printing a lunar base [²], machine shops at the ISS [³],
and 3D printed telescope [⁴]. Two main aspects of testing 3D printed devices for space are: 1)
launching printed devices in space to characterize their functionality, 2) printing devices while in
space in microgravity. The rst phase, to evaluate the eects of space environment on 3D printed
devices; that are fabricated on earth and launched in space, is an urgent study. An understanding of
the eects of being in space and microgravity on polymers, optical coatings, and the 3D printed parts
is critical. Furthermore, the ability to print functional devices, perhaps down to the nanoscale, is an
area that requires focused eorts [⁵].
Related Case Experiences
Vaidya et al. [⁶] was the rst to demonstrate design and fabrication of 3D printed optics using desktop
3D printers. This technique created high-quality aspheric microscope mirrors, concentrator arrays,
and immersion lenses.
An application for 3D printed and carbon bre reinforced polymer (CFRP) optics is Space-based Solar
Power (SBSP). The main requirement for viability of a SBSP system is high specic power (power/
mass), necessary for keeping launch costs practical. An ultra-lightweight parabolic mirror design and
fabrication process based on using cast CFRP parabolas with the UV gel surface smoothing
technique, to produce mirror surfaces with nanometer scale surface smoothness was conceptualised
[⁷] and created successful space prototypes.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Many technologies were rst adopted in the context of space, before making it to terrestrial systems;
and we expect the same to be true of this technology. 3D printed optics will bring down the cost and
complexity of traditional fabrication processes and nd new applications in: augmented & virtual
reality (AR & VR) optics, cameras, imagers/displays, adaptive optics, solid-state lighting, solar
concentrators, and more. 3D printed polymeric lenses open up new applications in AR: optics,
photonics sensors, and waveguides.
72 73
Especially relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital to create space colonization technologies to
preserve our human civilization. Lightweight optical devices form an important aspect of these space
technologies. Specic life sciences applications are plentiful, e.g., photonics sensing of biomolecules
[⁸] and creation of lightweight microscope optics [⁶].
References
1. Burton, R.L., Brown, K. and Jacobi, A., 2006. Low-cost launch of payloads to low Earth orbit.
Journal of spacecraft and rockets, 43(3), pp.696-698.
2. http://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/
Building_a_lunar_base_with_3D_printing
3. Prater T.J., et al., Summary Report on Phase I Results From the 3D Printing in Zero-G Technology
Demonstration Mission, Volume I, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
4. https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/esa-shows-how-to-use-3d-printing-to-produce-a-space-
telescope/
5. Engstrom, D.S., Porter, B.F., Pacios, M, Bhaskaran, H, Additive Nanomanufacturing – a Review.
Journal of Materials Research 29 (17), 179
6. Vaidya, N. and Solgaard, O., 2018. 3D printed optics with nanometer scale surface roughness.
Microsystems & nanoengineering, 4(1), p.18
7. Vaidya, N., et al., 2017, June. Lightweight carbon ber mirrors for solar concentrator applications.
In 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC) (pp. 572-577). IEEE
8. Adato, R., Yanik, A.A., Amsden, J.J., Kaplan, D.L., Omenetto, F.G., Hong, M.K., Erramilli, S. and Altug,
H., 2009. Ultra-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy of protein monolayers with plasmonic
nanoantenna arrays. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(46), pp.19227-1923
9. ‘Device Fabrication Using 3D Printing’, 2015, patent 62/267,175, US201562267175
17. Translating the lessons of remote work
and prolonged isolation of astronauts to the
modern day workforce of the new normal
Dr. Marcus Ranney - Founder and CEO Human Edge
Overview
The pandemic of 2020 has highlighted the competitive advantage that wellbeing provides, especially
the important role in psychological health for the workforce. A “sledgehammer” approach to curb the
virus, has resulted in greater than 50% of the world’s population living in lockdown; the World
Economic Forum calling it the greatest psychological experiment ever conducted. The Climate crisis is
a catalyst for global health challenges and Covid-19 may be the start of a trend of climate driven
changes that continue to pose increasingly hazardous situations which will impact mental, emotional,
psychological and physical health for years to come. But there are a group of professionals that
routinely work in conned, stressful environments with high expectations on physical performance
and mental agility; astronauts. This is the moment to take the learnings from this profession, over the
past ve decades, and apply it to our terrestrial work-life.
Reection on previous activity in the eld (where pertinent/available) include:
A paper published in 1990 considered the mental and psychological eects on the future crew of
the Space Station Freedom (precursor of the ISS), suggesting humans part of its “complex
system”. Preparing for crew rotations of 180 days, its authors were well aware of psychological
factors needed to be monitored.
Previous investigations revealed consistent results with crew suering from anxiety, boredom,
depression, sleep disturbances and psychosomatic manifestations; many of which impaired
productivity, performance and their overall health.
Since then, Crew Psychological Training (CPT) and Isolation studies are now a routine aspect of
crew selection and training to optimise for mission success, increasing in importance as longer
term space missions are planned in the coming years to the Moon and Mars.
Terrestrial based staged environments include analog studies being conducted on long duration
simulated missions at NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), Russian based
NEK, Antarctica’s research stations and analog facilities in the UK.
Between 2007 and 2011, three crews of volunteers participated in a simulated Mars isolation
study, called Mars-500, supported by NASA, Russia, China, and ESA.
In March 2019, international participants in the Scientic International Research in a Unique
terrestrial Station (SIRIUS)-18/19 project spent four months in isolation.
China has run a series of small-crew isolation experiments at their simulated Lunar Palace 1
facility
Related Case Experiences
Over the past few months, a few business media platforms have articulated similarly themed
suggestions. Professors Noshir Contractor and Leslie DeChurch, from Northwestern University,
published an article on “What Astronauts Can Teach Us about Working Remotely”¹, which had a focus
74 75
on teamwork, group dynamics and maintaining energy levels. Forbes Magazine interviewed a number
of astronauts (Captain Scott Kelly, John Grunsfeld PhD, Dr. Chiao) and Bill Paloski, Ph.D., Director of
NASA’s Human Research Program to review aspects of conned living quarters, physical distancing
and remote working and its eect on productivity and performance².
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Remote working is part of the new normal. Whilst signicant eorts have created reactive processes,
the majority being done in an unprepared manner, a lot are far from ideal with negative
consequences.
The UK’s Health and Safety Executive³, in 2017, published a ‘Thriving at Work’ review and various
other UK government departments have since issued guidelines on mental health suggestions for
organisations, many of which were released in 2020. Whilst the majority of this work is focused on
protecting the UK workforce, major corporations are looking to develop frameworks and tools to help
assist the ‘Return to Growth Agenda’. A second, and larger, application of this hypothesis is to
optimise remote working as space missions are routinely used to work at a distance (mission control
to spacecraft), time delay (communication delay between messages) and technology dependence
(bandwidth, signal quality, etc).
This can lay the foundation for organisations like UK Space Labs, and others involved in the areas of
developing human related spaceight capabilities, to work with public and private sector
stakeholders to create an eective translational piece of work needed to adapt the data from
extreme environments (or staged earth based controls) to the current lockdown challenges and help
companies better manage their workforce and governments come up with more eective planning
measures for when this strategy needs to be extended.
The economic consequences of not doing so would be monumental and governments should view
this activity as part of its strategy for maintaining global relevance, strategic importance,
competitiveness and growth.
References
1. https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/remote-work-lessons-astronauts
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/valeriestimac/2020/03/20/former-astronauts-share-ways-to-cope-
with-isolation--social-distancing/?sh=20ed57141e18
3. https://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/howwework/index.htm
18. Protecting the health of astronauts using
the principles of astronautical hygiene
Dr John R Cain - Space Consultant (Astronaut health)
Overview
Since the beginning of manned spaceight, there has been a need to protect the health of the
astronauts from exposure to the physical, chemical, biological and psychological hazards of living and
working in space. Astronautical hygiene (AH) is recognised by space scientists as a branch of
occupational medicine that aims to control astronaut hazard exposure (see references below). The
principles of AH are to characterise a hazard, to assess the exposure health risks and to determine
the measures to mitigate exposure. Such principles are used by Government scientists, academics,
researchers and business to:
determine and assess the health eects associated with exposure to extreme hazards, such as
lunar dust, in the UK, the USA and the EU;
design and implement mitigation techniques to control hazard exposure;
undertake and participate in research on working and living in space;
act as a lynchpin in the application of the space sciences and provide a holistic approach to
protect astronaut health; and
advise Governments such as the UK Space Agency on hazard risk management strategies and
related cost-eective mitigation measures.
Related Case Experiences
Lunar dust is jagged and abrasive. Dermal exposure to the dust can cause skin damage.
Researchers in the cosmetics industry have been using simulated lunar dust to investigate skin
cellular changes. The data collected is being used by biochemists, toxicologists, astronautical
hygienists and others to determine the levels of skin damage and to establish a better understanding
of skin disease and the aging process in particular in weightlessness conditions. AHs are evaluating
the data to evaluate the exposure health risks and to develop risk management strategies for both
terrestrial and extra-terrestrial skin applications.
It is expected by the aerospace industry that space tourism will become protable in the future.
Commercial space companies are working with researchers in the industry, including AHs and
engineers, to design and implement eective life support systems to ensure homeostasis during
short term space travel. Projects are underway in the development of such life support systems in
particular on the use of eective and ecient extraction systems. The rst stage test trials indicate
positive results should be available within the year.
Impact and Terrestrial benet: Driving research and innovation
Astronautical hygiene and space medicine are the two major disciplines that are applied at all levels
terrestrially and extra-terrestrially to successfully ensure the health of astronauts. Workers in the
eld of AH include toxicologists, physiologists, psychologists, medics, engineers and others. Such
workers are mainly nanced and promoted by academia, industry, NASA, ESA and other relevant
stakeholders. Because AH is eective in assessing health risks both terrestrially and extra-terrestrially
76 77
to protect the health of astronauts, it is growing in signicance in the space industry. There is
therefore a need to pool biomedical/engineering knowledge under the one discipline of AH for
greater overall eciency. In addition, many peer-review papers, include topics in space biomedicine
and hazard mitigation measures; but when designing the initial research methodology there is a
failure to integrate the principles of AH. Research workers therefore tend to work in isolation. There
needs to be improved communication and resource provision within the space science/medicine
communities to improve this. This would benet research for example, in the study of mechanical
measures to prevent eye problems developing in weightlessness conditions, or the eects of gravity
on dust deposition in the lungs.
There are several Universities and establishments in the UK, as well as abroad, where individual
topics of AH are studied. This may be as part of a space science course, as part of a research project
or as a post-graduate dissertation (for example, at King’s College, Northumberland Uni, UCL,
Sherwood Observatory). There is no educational establishment that teaches the principles of AH as a
single discipline. This has resulted in a separation of the teaching of the biomedical from the
mechanical engineering aspects of the discipline. In the short-term, therefore, funding for AH should
be made available from a combination of academia, the professional bodies, Government, industry
and Government agencies to promote the subject in pre- and post-graduate studies. Once the
terrestrial and extra-terrestrial benets of the discipline are recognised and seen to be driving
research and innovation in the space sciences then stakeholders and partnerships may provide
additional nance to ensure that the UK remains a future key player in the exploration of manned
space travel.
References
1. J. R. Cain, “Lunar dust: the hazard and astronaut exposure risks”, Earth, Moon, Planets, 107, pp.
107 – 125, 2010.
2. J R Cain, “Astronautical hygiene – a new discipline to protect the health of astronauts working in
space”, JBIS, 64, pp. 179 – 185, 2011.
3. J. R. Cain, “Astronaut health - planetary exploration and the limitations on freedom”, In: The
Meaning of Liberty beyond Earth, C. S. Cockell (Ed), New York, Springer, 2014.
4. J. R. Cain, “Martian dust: the formation, composition, toxicology, astronaut exposure health risks
and measures to mitigate exposure”, JBIS, 72, pp. 161 -171, 2019.
19. Muscle wasting and human spaceight
Dr Richard Skipworth - Royal Inrmary of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh
Overview
Cancer cachexia is the syndrome of muscle wasting and nutritional depletion experienced by cancer
patients. Cachexia reduces patient treatment response, worsens physical function, reduces quality of
life, and ultimately results in shortened survival. It is estimated to directly cause up to 50% of all
cancer-related deaths and is therefore an enormous healthcare burden internationally.
Almost all cancer patients experience cachexia towards the end of life, but we are increasingly
recognising the importance and negative clinical impact of cachexia at the beginning of the cancer
journey, even in those patients receiving treatment with curative intent. Equally, we know that
cachexia aects many other patients with chronic illness (e.g. COPD, heart failure, kidney failure, HIV
etc). However, our understanding of the pathophysiology of muscle wasting in cachexia remains
incomplete, and studies performed in animal models often do not translate to the human patient.
Furthermore, we do not yet have an agreed or licensed ecacious management strategy for patients
with cachexia.
Muscle wasting is also a condition experienced by humans under microgravity conditions. Astronauts
experience signicant muscle wasting during long duration spaceight, which then impacts on their
ability to function when entering an environment with higher gravity (e.g. return to Earth or potential
mission to Mars). Eective countermeasures to counteract muscle wasting is a key challenge of long
duration spaceight. Astronauts, and terrestrial bed rest analogue studies, represent unique
opportunities to investigate muscle wasting in humans (biochemically, physiologically and
functionally). Further insights into the mechanisms and negative functional consequences of muscle
wasting would help develop treatments for both astronauts and patients with cachexia, with
important benecial functional impacts for both groups (e.g. e.g. safety, mission eectiveness, and
task completion for astronauts, and independence, quality of life and survival for patients).
Reection on previous activity in the eld (where pertinent/available) include:
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh represent one of the key leading international
research teams for cancer cachexia, especially with regards to translational and human studies.
Members of our team are involved in leadership positions within the Cancer Cachexia Society;
international consensus initiatives on disease denition and functional endpoints; and
international programmes for cachexia education and training research. Members of our team
are also members of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cancer and Nutrition
Collaboration, and Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.
Many syndromes of muscle wasting share similar potential mechanisms of muscle wasting,
especially with regards to end-eector mechanisms of intramuscular protein wasting. However,
the potential crossover with microgravity-based research is an underexplored area of research
need.
Related Case Experiences
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are involved in tissue banking programmes for surgical
and palliative care cancer patients (including tumour, muscle, fat, blood, urine), which are used in
funded programmes of mechanistic translational research, often with international or industry (e.g.
Novartis) collaboration. Funders include Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council. We also
lead multinational clinical trials of multimodal and novel interventions aimed at muscle recovery in
78 79
cancer patients, involving the robust nutritional and functional characterisation of recruited
individuals (e.g. anthropometry, body composition analysis using cross-sectional imaging techniques,
and assessment of muscle function by various techniques including physical activity meters). Such
clinical trial interventions include exercise and nutrition as key components, an approach which will
be of obvious importance in the prevention of muscle wasting for astronauts.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Advances in the generation of human models of muscle wasting (e.g. study of astronauts or bed rest
volunteers) would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms and treatments of muscle wasting
that are not easily available in the UK. Research in this area would provide two distinct health benets
with inherent scope for innovation. Firstly, the development of successful microgravity
countermeasures or muscle therapeutics for astronauts would lead to international collaboration
amongst space agencies with the potential for widespread adoption, including commercial space
ventures. Secondly, the development of therapies would have major terrestrial impact in a range of
human diseases, including cancer, providing major opportunities for pharma collaboration. Key
aspects of current muscle/physical activity research include the use of wearable sensor technology
with further scope for industry partnership. Such a strategy would sit well alongside capacity-building
research structures in the UK, such as the NIHR Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration.
20. Medical Devices Utilisation and
Connectivity with relation to Human
Spaceight
Mr Ashfaq Gilkar - Lead Clinical Business Analyst, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Overview
Satellite communications/GPS are an important aspect of medical devices connectivity in the UK with
various projects being instigated seeking to establish connectivity between ambulances & A&E/
Ambulance HQ .The ability to download patient results from within an ambulance ensures rapid
decision making at the receiving Hospital leading to improved clinical outcomes & the potential to
save numerous patient lives. The opportunity to utilise the incumbent 5G wireless communications
technology in the medical devices connectivity arena is substantial & this provides a robust
connectivity platform in real-time with reduced delay or ‘lag time’ in messaging. The utilisation of
satellite communications technology would be all important in establishing a robust & reliable
communicable integration between human spaceight, Cube Sat’s and terrestrial bases.
Remote monitoring & viewing (such as ‘telemedicine’/‘google glasses’ & similar visual aids) being an
important aspect to the above whereby two way visual communication between terrestrial and space
ight missions could be established providing a platform for sharing data, provision of expert
instructions and immediate uploading of astronaut diagnostic or clinical investigative data for
assessment by mission control. The instigation of robotic automated processes & also incorporating
AI/ machine learning tools to enable predictive analytics associated with astronaut diagnostics &
clinical investigations performed during missions.
Related Case Experiences
1. A collaboration between GSTT and London Ambulance Service led to a study using on-line Point
of Care Testing diagnostic devices within an Ambulance setting prior to entry to the hospital
helping front line sta accelerate decision making, reduce congestion, improving patient waiting
times. Online POCT would be a mainstay of human spaceight missions.
2. The GSTT Pharmacy department RACS APOTECA robotic arms project for automatic formulation
of patient medication. Utilisation of similar robotic devices on Human Spaceight missions to
automate tasks & assist astronauts with manual tasks.
3. Remote viewing of XLTECH EEG monitors within ICU departments of GSTT at the peak of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Establishing Citrix based remote monitoring of monitors by clinicians to
avoid and minimise excessive clinician exposure to Covid-19 infected patients.
4. CogStack - low cost structured - unstructured information retrieval & extraction architecture
utilising AI/Machine learning capabilities within GSTT providing an open source integrated
document retrieval & information extraction, to solve a variety of typical issues associated with
analytics within an NHS environment. This concept could also be applied to Human Spaceight
scenarios.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Nurture closer collaborations between the NHS & UK Space Agencies, via an infrastructure
framework implemented to support UK-based NHS Healthcare sta & scientists to conduct research
with international space agencies & relevant commercial partners. This would provide the funding &
partnership opportunities for established, early career & clinical researchers to engage in responsive,
stakeholder-driven & innovative medical devices connectivity for human spaceight research.
Partnerships being established via the following means to foster closer working ties between the NHS
community and UK Space Agencies:
Seminars, webinars and conferences related to spaceight biomedical research topics to be held
within & hosted by large UK teaching hospital NHS trusts.
Incorporation of UK Space Agencies and their contributions as co-authors or partners within NHS
based research papers and as acknowledged part of research studies.
Invitation of UK space agency sta to relevant NHS conferences/seminars and vice versa.
Identifying key persons or ‘champions’ within the NHS that have an interest in Human Space ight
related topics and encouraging these to join the Space Agencies /Community.
80 81
21. Printed tissues in space
Prof Hagan Bayley - University of Oxford, UK
Overview
Modern medical treatments span a spectrum from small molecule therapeutics to biotherapeutics
(e.g. monoclonal antibodies) to cell-based therapies (e.g. immunotherapies) to transplantation. The
diversity of people and their ailments suggest that a comprehensive collection of such medicines
cannot be stored on a space craft or space station. All but the most mundane treatments will have to
be manufactured on demand.
Our lab in Oxford is engaged in the fabrication of tissues, both synthetic and living, which will
contribute to emerging medical therapies. By synthetic, we mean materials that mimic living tissues,
but do not contain cells that can divide. The synthetic tissues are built by 3D printing and contain
thousands of aqueous compartments that can communicate with each other and with the external
environment. By using multiple printing heads, patterned tissues are produced from compartments
with dierent contents. These materials mimic aspects of living tissues. For example, they can
transmit electrical signals or change shape.
By using a related printing technique, we also fabricate tissues by patterning living cells in three
dimensions. The cells are printed at high density and remain fully viable. After printing, they can
divide, dierentiate and migrate. Stem cells and genome-edited cells can be used, and their
organisation can, but need not, resemble that found in nature. Hence, the printed cells can mimic
natural tissues or behave in a novel fashion.
Related Case Experiences
Fundamental research on fabricated synthetic and living tissues is supported in Oxford by an ERC
grant on 'Remotely-controlled functional synthetic tissues' and an Oxford Martin School programme
entitled '3D Printing for brain repair' in which neural tissues are produced by printing reprogrammed
human stem cells.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
We are currently generating synthetic tissues with medical applications, such as implantable
materials that produce molecules (such as therapeutic peptides) when signalled to do so by an
external signal, such as a local magnetic eld. Further, we are producing tissues for the repair of
damaged organs or to substitute for failed organs.
Clearly, there are challenges if this technology is to be reproduced in space. Can we make printers
that will function correctly in low gravity? What is the minimum set of reagents that will be needed to
be stored to produce printed tissues in space? Certainly, astronauts will have to have with them
frozen vials of tissue progenitor cells derived from their own stem cells.
Besides providing solutions for space medicine, the means to prevail over these technology
challenges in space will provide benets here on Earth. For example, the delity of the delicate
process of tissue printing is likely to be improved in a controlled gravity environment and the ability to
carry out sophisticated medical procedures in harsh environments or countries with poor
infrastructure will be enhanced by following procedures that succeed in an isolated space craft or
settlement. In addition, the growth of precisely patterned 3D tissues under microgravity will
contribute to our understanding of important fundamental principles in developmental biology.
22. Psychology and Human Spaceight
Dr Nathan Smith - University of Manchester
Overview
Psychology provides a lens through which to understand the mind and behaviour of astronauts. This
is important because in space astronauts are exposed to an unusual and highly challenging
environment characterised by a range of potentially stressful physical, psychological and social
demands. As a result of these demands, the space environment can impact upon the safety, health
and performance of astronauts. Amongst other contributions, psychological studies have previously
informed astronaut selection, development of methods to ensure eective stress adaptation and
coping, how to optimise ground-crew interactions, and design approaches to ensure that those ying
in space survive and thrive during their expeditions.
Reection on previous activity in the eld (where pertinent/available) include:
Researchers from the UK have been actively involved in studies related to psychology and
spaceight. This has included conducting both fundamental and applied research projects in
collaboration with ESA, NASA and other associated partners and stakeholders.
Previous work conducted by scholars in the UK has contributed to advancing scientic
understanding, led to countermeasure innovations and been used by agencies during current
and future mission planning. There is also evidence of terrestrial benet, with ndings from
psychological studies of astronauts being applied to support the UK military and most recently
the covid-19 pandemic response.
Related Case Experiences
Researchers at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University are currently
conducting several psychological projects with ESA and NASA. This includes research on cosmonaut
motivation during 6-month missions on the ISS, the development and validation of a standard
psychological assessment for performance and health monitoring on exploration class space
missions, and methods for monitoring biopsychosocial function and resilience during the Mars
simulation SIRIUS connement studies.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
We have a thriving community of psychologists in the UK, some of whom are already engaged in
space-related projects. Today, UK psychologists continue to shape the future of human spaceight by
providing expert input to new ESA human research roadmaps, developing technologies and
infrastructure to allow ESA and other agencies to monitor the psychosocial function of personnel
involved in space and space analog missions, and providing critical mentorship to young and early-
career scientists interested in pursuing work in this area. There is clear downstream terrestrial
benet of work being conducted by UK psychologists focused on space. Studies conducted by
researchers in the UK both in space and on space analog platforms have been translated and led to
the development of tools and technologies for safety management in high reliability industries (e.g.,
mining), resulted in evidence-based resilient performance training and education for extreme
occupational groups (e.g., MOD, NHS), and informed resources on coping with isolation and
connement, most recently for those living in lockdown during the covid-19 outbreak.
To consolidate and build on this work, we would like to see a centre similar to ‘The Translational
Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH)’ that can support UK-based psychologists and
82 83
behavioural scientists (and the wider scientic community) to conduct research with international
space agencies and other relevant commercial partners. This type of centre would provide the
funding and partnership opportunities for established, early career and pre-doctoral researchers to
engage in responsive, stakeholder-driven and innovative psychology and human spaceight research.
Growing a vibrant and resilient community working in this area means that the UK would be well-
placed to provide expertise in support of future agency and the newly emerging commercially
operated space activities and missions. Ultimately, this should have a positive scientic, economic
and societal impact to the UK and its residents. Much like with the TRISH model, advances stemming
from support for psychology and human spaceight research could, where relevant, also be
translated to terrestrial settings.
23. Space Medicine in the UK
Dr Peter D Hodkinson¹ & Dr Rochelle Velho²
¹ Aerospace Medicine and Physiology Research Group, Centre for Human and Applied
Physiological Sciences, King’s College London (KCL)
² University of Birmingham NHS Trust, UK
Overview
Aviation and Space Medicine (ASM) is concerned with all factors aecting the human body in ight in
health as well as sickness. It includes consideration around physiology, psychology and performance,
which can provide critical input to countermeasures to protect against the harmful eects of their
abnormal environment. Other aspects include medical system planning and clinical management of
diseases secondary to exposure to extreme environments like space.
ASM was recognised as a medical speciality in the UK by the General Medical Council (GMC) in April
2016 and the training curriculum was formally ratied in September 2016. For many ASM is a sub-
specialisation additional to their primary speciality, such as anaesthetics, general practice or
emergency medicine.
There is a designated route to train medical personnel in ASM, although still in its infancy. The UK has
world leading life science research institutions with a small but active space life sciences research
community and a rich history of aerospace vehicle and life support system development and
production.
Related Case Experiences
The UK has much of the required aeromedical infrastructure to support human space ight activities,
for example, a human centrifuge, hypobaric chambers, thermal chambers, and disorientation
chambers. However, they have not historically been readily accessible for space related research or
training due to organisational access or lack of supportive fundings opportunities. There is not a UK
parabolic ight capability or analog test and research platforms, although access is possible through
ESA programmes. Multiple spaceports may be built in England, Scotland, and Wales, which could
support both vertical and horizontal launch capabilities and would require appropriate medical
support.
The UK Space Agency does not have medical personnel, there is no central coordinating area or
funded role in the UK for space medicine trained personnel. The CAA have been directed to develop
regulatory policy to oversee human spaceight activities but do not have dedicated space medicine
personnel for this, although like the Royal Air Force they have started training personnel in ASM to
address this. Additionally, UK Space Agency research calls are typically limited to those with terrestrial
health benets or applications.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Space medicine is a key enabler of human spaceight and is a fundamental consideration in any
planning of crewed space operations. Research in support of human spaceight can also be of wider
benet to terrestrial patients in the National Health Service. Hypersonic ight and sub-orbital launch
oers a unique environment to study the human body and UK industry will need ASM support
developing these vehicles and associated protection systems. These developments would also
provide novel UK military operational capability and associated export potential. Research is also
needed in this area to inform Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) medical regulations and support safe
operations.
The key requirement that is missing is the political will and policy direction that would facilitate UK
medical personnel and research to support human spaceight operations. Following clarity on the
political vision and intent, one way forward would then be the foundation of a centralised space
medicine centre of excellence. This could be within the UK Space Agency or established as a virtual
institute drawing in expertise from current centres of ASM excellence like the RAF Centre of Aviation
Medicine, CAA medical department, industry and academic centres. This would help bring together
space medical experts in the UK to develop a roadmap to prioritise research, facilities, funding
streams, coordinate training and focus on building on our strengths in Space Life Sciences Research
and Development.
24. Medical aspects of commercial suborbital
spaceight
Dr Thomas Smith - King's College London, UK
Overview
Very few people have ever own on suborbital ights, which will soon be available to members of the
public. Suborbital ight proles entail novel physiological challenges, going in a matter of minutes
from high G acceleration to microgravity and
then back to high G. The forecast population
that will initially be taking suborbital ights is
very dierent from traditional astronaut or test
pilot populations that are carefully selected and
highly trained. Suborbital space travel is
ultimately expected to revolutionise global
transportation. For example, the Swiss
investment bank UBS (total assets ~ $1 trillion)
recently notied investors to expect very fast
suborbital space travel to be ‘cannibalising’ long-
haul air routes within the next decade (e.g.
London–New York in 30 minutes), while the US
investment bank Morgan Stanley (total assets
also ~ $1 trillion) recently forecast $800 billion in
annual sales for suborbital point-to-point travel
by 2040.
Image courtesy of Thomas Smith, King's College London
84 85
Related Case Experiences
Dr Thomas Smith is Head of Aerospace Medicine Research at King’s College London and Consultant
Anaesthetist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. He is a Fellow and Council Member of
the Aerospace Medical Association and an Academician of the International Academy of Aviation and
Space Medicine. Dr Smith leads an international research collaboration exploring the physiology and
medicine of commercial suborbital spaceight. A grant from the UK Space Agency enabled
experiments to advance UK technology that also provided novel data regarding the eects of high G
on the lungs. Led by King’s, this work was conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford,
QinetiQ, the Royal Air Force Centre of Aviation Medicine and RWTH Aachen University. Sustained high
G acceleration at magnitudes relevant to suborbital launch and re-entry caused profound changes in
respiratory physiology including hypoxaemia (lowered blood oxygen levels). This work did not
replicate actual suborbital G proles, which will be relatively brief, but was able to characterise
underlying respiratory responses that may be triggered to some extent during ights. This research
made use of advanced and invasive measurement techniques on a human centrifuge including direct
arterial blood sampling under high G. These are the rst studies to use electrical impedance
tomography, diaphragm electromyography, oesophageal/gastric manometry, molecular ow sensing
or concurrent hypoxia during +Gx (chest-to-back) acceleration, as experienced during space launch
and re-entry.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
The respiratory eects identied in this research could become clinically important in suborbital
passengers who are particularly susceptible either due to advanced age or conditions such as obesity
or smoking-related lung disease. At least initially, there is expected to be a tendency towards older
age groups among suborbital passengers, and such comorbidities are likely to be relatively common.
It is important from a regulatory perspective as well as training and protection for passengers that we
have a better understanding of the physiological and medical challenges posed by these ight
proles, and further studies are required. This requires research funding which, in the eld of space
physiology and medicine in the UK, is often categorised as support for either ‘research focussed on
people going into space’ or ‘research with potential terrestrial translational benets’. Unusually,
research in suborbital medicine/physiology ts both categories – suborbital travel will eventually
aect us all – and this work strongly warrants further investment.
25. Modulating the astronaut’s microbiome
during long space missions
Dr Franklin L Nobrega - University of Southampton, UK
Overview
Astronauts face many challenges on long-duration space missions, among which the diculty of
maintaining a balanced gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota. The GI microbiota – a large and complex
community of microbes including bacteria, fungi and viruses – is critical for our health, with roles in
digestion, maintenance of gut barrier function and modulation of the immune system. Thus,
disruption of the normal functioning of the GI microbiota can lead to an impaired immunity and
predispose astronauts to illness. In space, all measures are taken to minimize the risk of infections for
astronauts. However, the lack of microbial intake from food and air – as it normally occurs on Earth –
may have a detrimental eect on the diversity of the astronaut’s microbiota. Adding the physical and
environmental stresses faced by astronauts in space, signicant alterations to the GI microbiota may
occur. A weakened or altered microbiota can be exploited by opportunistic pathogens pre-existent in
the gut and previously harmless due to competitive displacement by commensal GI microbes, to rise
and colonize the gut. Importantly, studies demonstrate that several bacteria change their behaviour
and virulence under microgravity conditions, heightening the concern about space infections.
Currently the recommended countermeasure to deal with bacterial infections in the International
Space Station (ISS) is the administration of antibiotics. But the large spectrum of activity of antibiotics
will also do substantial damage to the commensal members of the microbiota. Once again this
predisposes astronauts to colonization by pathogens and to illness, such as chronic or extreme
diarrhoea.
Related Case Experiences
The use of probiotics has been proposed to help replenish the GI microbiota during and after
antibiotic treatment in astronauts; but these only provide a limited selection of commensal GI
microbes, since they are not supplemented by environmental microorganisms as on Earth. To avoid
dramatic changes in the composition of the astronauts’ GI microbiota we propose the use of
(bacterio)phages as an alternative to antibiotics for treating space infections. These viruses of
bacteria are highly specic, with their activity restricted to the bacterial species and most often strain
level. Because of this, phages act only on their target bacteria, leaving the healthy microbiota
untouched. They thus hold promise as a therapeutic alternative in space infections. Importantly, they
may also be used as a preventive measure towards the overpowering of commensal bacteria by
opportunistic bacteria, to maintain a healthy microbiota in astronauts on long-duration space travels.
Researchers at the University of Southampton are currently conducting several projects with phages.
This includes research into the ecacy and safety of phages as a treatment for antibiotic-resistant
infections, the use of phages for the prevention/treatment of disorders associated with an
imbalanced GI microbiota, and ways to prevent the development of phage resistance.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
There is a clear terrestrial benet of work conducted with phages in space. Understanding how
extreme conditions such as microgravity and radiation inuence the interactions between phages
and bacteria will help us develop more eective phage therapies on Earth. The immune system is
found to play an important role in the success of phage therapies. Since multiple studies suggest that
immunity is changed by the spaceight environment, studying the eect of such changes on phage
therapy will further our understanding about the synergistic and antagonistic eects of phages and
immune system, and advance phage therapy on Earth.
86 87
26. Astropharmacy: Medication management
and the pharmacists’ role in space
exploration
Dr Li Shean Toh - University of Nottingham, UK
Overview
Space tourism and deep space exploration is rapidly advancing. With increased access to space
tourism, potential tourists are likely to have dierent medical conditions and be taking dierent
medicines than t, trained astronauts. Addressing these challenges will develop solutions that are
relevant on earth as well as in space, helping with healthcare in extreme or remote environments,
and developing new ways of delivering medication. Pharmacists have an integral role in
contemporary healthcare in medication management, dramatically reducing medication-related
problems (medication use errors, prescribing errors, adverse eects, therapy failure, poor storage
conditions and lack of medication supply). There is limited understanding of the long-term
detrimental eects of extreme environments such as microgravity and radiation on the interaction of
the human body with medications and medications on board spaceplanes. This means advancing
Astropharmacy has huge potential to improve space and terrestrial health.
Related Case Experiences
Astropharmacy researchers at the University of Nottingham are conducting pharmacy practice and
policy projects including a project funded by the UK Space Agency aiming to develop pharmacist
workforce in space travel to mitigate medication-related problems. Results cite strong support from
both the pharmacy and space sector towards research in:
Medication management for space tourist and deep space travel to understand and mitigate
medication-related problems: In order for medication management to be successful, systems
and interventions need to be developed to evaluate medication use (therapeutic eects, side
eect reporting, near miss reporting, medication reviewing/optimization, medicine use
behaviour), ensure safe and continuous medication supply (shelf-life, inventory, quality control,
manufacturing, new formulation, stock management.).
Astropharmacy regulatory/licensing board: Funded research at Nottingham working with NASA to
3-D print medication as required in space raises questions about the need for regulations/
licensing/policy on-site, on-demand manufacture, be it in space or on Earth.
Medication research i.e. developing personalized medication, understanding pharmacokinetic,
pharmacodynamic, drug-drug-nutrition interaction changes, bed rest studies, utilizing articial
intelligence and developing radioprotective medication.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Solutions developed from these challenges are highly relevant for Earth. Systems, interventions,
hardware, manufacturing methods that is feasible for space missions will be useful, perhaps even
game-changing, for medical practice in remote terrestrial locations and deployed military or disaster
response operations. Methods for shelf-life extension could enhance emergency preparedness
stockpiles. Radioprotective medications could provide incalculable benets for cancer patients
receiving radiotherapy.
The University of Nottingham is the UK’s leading school of pharmacy and have expertise and interest
in Astropharmacy research. We envision the UK to pioneer the world’s rst Astropharmacy Hub
leading in the provision of pharmacy services, regulations/licensing and medication research in space.
This one-stop astropharmacy information centre will answer queries from global space travelers,
space agencies and commercial companies. If information is needed in space the possibility of an
astro-digitalpharmacy to provide remote consultation could be established. The hub would also
become a research centre. Pharmacy research in the space sector where relevant can be translated
to other terrestrial extreme environments. The Astropharmacy Hub will coordinate pharmacy space
activities allowing the UK to take the lead on the rst pharmacy space hub crystalizing its position
with limitless potential for scientic, economical, and societal impact.
27. ESA Academy
Dr Nigel Savage - HE Space Operations for ESA - European Space Agency, The Netherlands
The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Programme has the objective to inspire and motivate
young people to enhance their literacy and competence in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM disciplines), and to pursue a career in these elds in the space domain in
particular. To this end, it oers a number of exciting activities that range from training and classroom
activities that use space as a teaching and learning context for school teachers and pupils, to real
space projects for university students.
The latter activities, enveloped within the ESA Academy, complement academia by fullling an all too
often missing link between university education and professional experience.
This is achieved through implementation of two approaches. Firstly, by giving teams of students
access to unique platforms and competitive opportunities to design build, test and perform
experiments or technological demonstrations and secondly, by providing specically tailored space-
related courses in various elds, delivered by industry and agency professional experts.
The rst approach, designated “Hands-On Programmes”, caters for engineering students as well as
scientists who want to gain access to space, or altered gravity platforms. These programmes include
“Fly a Rocket!”, “Fly Your Satellite!”, Rexus/Bexus, “Orbit Your Thesis!”, “Fly Your Thesis!”, “Drop Your
Thesis!”, “Spin Your Thesis!” and “Spin Your Thesis! Human Edition”. While the “Fly a Rocket!”, “Fly Your
Satellite!” and Rexus/Bexus programmes are geared toward engineering and non-life sciences, the
other programmes (Your Thesis!) give teams access to life-science friendly platforms which include
the ISS, parabolic ights, large diameter centrifuges and short-arm human centrifuges.
ESA Academy’s second approach to complementing academic training is through the delivery of a
series of specialized courses and workshops at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in ESA-
Galaxia in Belgium. The delivery of such trainings is performed not only by seasoned academics but
also industrial and agency experts with years of experience in the subject taught. A typical course
lasts one week on site or 2 weeks if delivered interactively online. Students are set tasks throughout
the course and these serve as assessments that can be claimed as ECTS points with the students’
universities.
There are currently 20 courses delivered per annum and the topics range from Space Law to Human
Space Physiology as well as a variety of space related engineering topics.
Since 2015, 24 students of British citizenship were selected for the "Your Thesis!" programmes which
represents approximately 12.5% of students who participate in our life-science favorable
programmes. Some of these students formed part of 7 teams spanning 9 UK Universities. Of these 7
teams, 3 performed life science experiments. Interestingly all using centrifuges, investigating the
88 89
eects of hypergravity on human skeleton, plasma membrane uidity and arthritis.
One of these teams, Bristol Bone Biologists from the University of Bristol, successfully applied for
“Spin Your Thesis!” in 2018 and set out to investigate cartilage morphogenesis in developing zebrash
embryos in hypergravity. Their ndings demonstrated that the growth and morphology of the
cartilage and that of muscle remained mostly unaltered in hypergravity. However, altered mechanical
properties were identied in jaw cartilage. Indeed, Finite Element Analysis predicted altered strain
distribution in certain jaw regions, which upon close investigation revealed local changes in
chondrocyte morphology. These ndings strongly suggest that gravity inuences chondrocyte
maturation, which ultimately leads to changes in cartilage structure and function. The two PhD
students who initiated this project were also involved in all aspects of project management, from
nancial dealings with the European Space Agency to outreach events with local school children
during science fairs. One of the students remarked, “It's been a fantastic opportunity to work with
the European Space Agency Education team and those at the LDC. It's a unique project that has
enabled our team to pitch, plan, and run a large-scale experiment from scratch. Collecting exciting
data is just one of the great outcomes of the project and we've developed many other management
and outreach skills along the way.”
References/Supporting Material
1. https://www.esa.int/Education/Spin_Your_Thesis/
The_9th_edition_of_the_Spin_Your_Thesis!_campaign_is_a_wrap!
2. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2018/october/spin-your-thesis.html
28. Muscle Maintenance, Memory and Space
Flight
Prof Claire Stewart - Liverpool John Moore’s University, UK
Overview
It is suggested that losses of skeletal muscle mass of ~40% are incompatible with life. Approximately
50% of the healthy adult human body is comprised of skeletal muscle, with any negative impact on
muscle mass inuencing health. Fortunately, skeletal muscle is highly adaptable, displaying features
of both growth and loss. It is well known that space ight culminates in muscle atrophy and models
including: head down bed rest and hind limb suspension are providing insight into the impact and
mechanisms of microgravity/simulated microgravity on physiological mal/adaptation (reviewed in
Prasad, B et al, 2020), including that of skeletal muscle.
The NASA GeneLab project (https://genelab.nasa.gov/), enables a systems-based omics approach of
research, into the mechanisms of adaptation of biological samples subjected to space travel or to
simulated microgravity. Data are curated in the NASA GeneLab repository (https://genelab-
data.ndc.nasa.gov/). Most data relate to transcription proling, however, studies of epigenomics and
epitranscriptomics are included. Since epigenetic modications are reversible, mal-adaptations as a
result of lifecourse experiences, including space ight, could be reversed.
Related Case Experiences
In the early 2000s, we reported that adult human skeletal muscle stem cells retain a memory of the
environment from which they are derived (Foulstone, E et al, 2003). Recently our group (Seaborne, R
et al, 2018) examined the impact of 7 weeks of training (bout1), followed by 7 weeks of detraining and
a further 7 weeks of retraining (bout2) on muscle adaptation in healthy, young males. Bout1 resulted
in a signicant increase in muscle mass, which returned to baseline with detraining. Bout2
culminated in a signicant increase in muscle mass compared not only to baseline, but also to bout1.
This signicant increase in lean mass, as a consequence of the second bout of training, was
associated with a doubling in the number of hypomethylated CpG sites, thus facilitating increased
gene expression. These data suggest that modiable epigenetic alterations underpin muscle
adaptation.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
The NASA resources and developing knowledge around muscle memory provide huge potential not
only for astronaut health, but also for reducing atrophy more generally. We know that muscle cells
display reduced bre formation, if exposed to one bout of inammation, which is signicantly
worsened when exposed to a second bout (Sharples, A et al, 2015), several weeks later. We also know
that muscle mass increases if exposed to one bout of exercise, which is signicantly increased if
exposed to a second bout several weeks later. Worsened atrophy and improved hypertrophy,
respectively were associated with altered epigenetic proles. These data suggest that the loss of
muscle mass as a result of microgravity will be associated with epigenetic changes, culminating in
worsened loss, if astronauts are exposed to repeated microgravity. Relevant physiological and
functional measures may conrm or refute this hypothesis. Furthermore, analyses of -omics data
within the NASA gene lab repository will provide mechanistic insight relating to muscle atrophy.
Finally, data from the Rodent Research-1 (RR1) NASA Validation Flight include epigenetic analyses of
rodent samples –exposed to spaceight only once - but providing a rst step in our understanding of
the role of epigenetics in space-related muscle wasting. Similarly, terrestrials who suer multiple
bouts of disuse or who are highly sedentary, are likely to be most prone to muscle loss. Finally, if
multiple bouts of exercise culminate in epigenetic adaptations, associated with enhanced
hypertrophy, then this knowledge can be applied to relevant models of atrophy. Exercise
interventions that have periods of detraining between bouts of training, might compensate for the
losses that are experienced as a result of unloading. To determine the validity (or not) of this
hypothesis, initial experiments should compare epigenetic/gene-array/proteome data of space ight
vs. resistance training. If genes overlap but are hypermethylated in space ight and hypomethylated
in exercise (or vice versa), then the potential to inuence muscle wasting exists. There is an
opportunity and a need to develop relevant research relating to muscle wasting, in association with
International space agencies, with implications not only to space ight and astronaut health, but also
to improved healthspan (in line with government objectives) of an ageing and sedentary population.
90 91
29. Treatment of Infection and Antimicrobial
Resistance
Dr Paul Arkell, Dr Ravi Mehta, Mr Richard Wilson, Dr Jesus Rodriguez-Manzano, Dr Pantelis
Georgiou, Prof Tony Cass, Prof Danny O’Hare, Prof Alison Holmes - Centre for Antimicrobial
Optimisation, Imperial College London
Overview
Astronauts are at high risk of infection because the environment of space aects both host and
pathogen. Natural physical barriers (skin and mucus membranes) are disrupted by injury, drying and
chemical irritation, while immune dysfunction occurs with zero-gravity and sleep disturbance. The
microbiome of the International Space Station, our longest-term closed space environment, consists
of a diverse population of bacteria and fungi, many of which can cause human disease [1]. Bacteria
can exhibit abnormal growth characteristics, increased virulence, and even increased antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) in space [2].
The diagnosis of infection in space is challenging because obtaining blood (or other clinical
specimens) produces biohazardous sharps waste which cannot be disposed-of, and access to
laboratory equipment, reagents and expertise in space is limited. Clinical management of an infected
astronaut is hampered by accelerated degradation of medications due to environmental stressors
such as radiation and microgravity [3]. Profound changes in human physiology impact drug
pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), which may lead to subtherapeutic drug
concentrations, drug accumulation, toxicity, poor clinical outcome, and/or the development of AMR
[4,5].
Delayed/missed infection diagnosis, combined with the incremental risk of suboptimal treatment,
may have catastrophic consequences in space. Therefore, there is a need for research into near-
patient detection and dierentiation of infection, physiological monitoring, and optimisation of
antimicrobial treatment for individuals living in extreme and isolated environments. These
technologies will be crucial if humans are to achieve prolonged space travel, such as Mars missions.
Moreover their innovation will contribute to better terrestrial infection management.
Researchers in the UK have previously been actively involved in research related to antimicrobial
resistance and treatment of infection during space ight. This includes studies of the eect of wearing
compression suites on astronauts’ microbiome [6] and evaluating rational treatment of infection
during space ight [7].
Related Case Experiences
Currently, the terrestrial use of antimicrobials is often suboptimal: treatments are chosen empirically,
without rapid diagnostic testing or any prior knowledge of a patient’s colonising bacteria, and
therefore without full individual assessment of the likely causative organism(s). Drug dosing is
determined using aggregate population PK-PD data, and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is
sometimes ineective due to non-standardised drug-level assays, long turn-around-times, and a lack
of robust evidence on interpreting results. Changes in infection management are physician-initiated
and are rarely supported by integrated articial intelligence.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Researchers at the Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation at Imperial College London aim to develop
technologies which can optimise the management of infection, improve patient outcomes, and
reduce the development of AMR. Our group encompasses research excellence in infectious disease,
data science, articial intelligence, chemistry, biosensor technology and bioengineering. Areas of
development which may directly contribute to space medicine include:
1. The development of novel, rapid diagnostic solutions for the detection of infections and genes
associated with antimicrobial resistance at the point-of-care [8,9]
2. The development of clinical decision support systems, which can guide infection management
and antimicrobial prescribing, and are aimed at use by non-experts in infectious diseases [10]
3. The real-time minimally-invasive monitoring of antimicrobial levels and biomarkers for treatment
response using microneedle biosensors and closed-loop control of drug delivery, as well as
capillary (nger-prick) blood sampling [11,12]
There are clear downstream terrestrial benets of developing these technologies for use in space.
For example, they may easily be applied to individuals in other types of extreme environment
(expedition medicine, deep-sea exploration, aid work, or conict). Learning how to optimise infection
treatment in these environments will undoubtedly also inform hospital and community treatment in
the UK, for example by pushing forward the eld of personalised critical care medicine. Furthermore,
the process of discovery and mutual sharing of ideas between health and life sciences,
bioengineering, and the space sector should provide a nurturing environment for UK-based early
career scientists, in order for them to innovate, engage with commercial partners, contribute and
compete on the international scientic stage.
References
1. Checinska Siela A, Urbaniak C, Mohan GBM, Stepanov VG, Tran Q, Wood JM, Minich J, McDonald
D, Mayer T, Knight R, Karouia F, Fox GE, Venkateswaran K. Characterization of the total and viable
bacterial and fungal communities associated with the International Space Station surfaces.
Microbiome. 2019 Apr 8;7(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s40168-019-0666-x. PMID: 30955503; PMCID:
PMC6452512.
2. Taylor PW. Impact of space ight on bacterial virulence and antibiotic susceptibility. Infect Drug
Resist. 2015 Jul 30;8:249-62. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S67275. PMID: 26251622; PMCID: PMC4524529.
3. Du B, Daniels VR, Vaksman Z, Boyd JL, Crady C, Putcha L. Evaluation of physical and chemical
changes in pharmaceuticals own on space missions. AAPS J. 2011 Jun;13(2):299-308. doi:
10.1208/s12248-011-9270-0. Epub 2011 Apr 9. PMID: 21479701; PMCID: PMC3085701.
4. Putcha L, Cintrón NM. Pharmacokinetic consequences of spaceight. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1991 Feb
28;618:615-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1991.tb27292.x. PMID: 11537657.
5. Eyal S, Derendorf H. Medications in Space: In Search of a Pharmacologist's Guide to the Galaxy.
Pharm Res. 2019 Aug 14;36(10):148. doi: 10.1007/s11095-019-2679-3. PMID: 31414302.
6. Stabler RA, Rosado H, Doyle R, Negus D, Carvil PA, Kristjánsson JG, Green DA, Franco-Cendejas R,
Davies C, Mogensen A, Scott J, Taylor PW. Impact of the Mk VI SkinSuit on skin microbiota of
terrestrial volunteers and an International Space Station-bound astronaut. NPJ Microgravity. 2017
Sep 7;3:23. doi: 10.1038/s41526-017-0029-5. PMID: 28894789; PMCID: PMC5589758.
7. Taylor PW, Sommer AP. Towards rational treatment of bacterial infections during extended space
travel. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2005 Sep;26(3):183-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2005.06.002.
PMID: 16118047; PMCID: PMC2025679.
8. Rodriguez-Manzano J, Malpartida-Cardenas K, Moser N et al. Handheld Point-of-Care System for
Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Extracted RNA in under 20 min. ACS Cent. Sci. 2021 Jan. Doi:
10.1021/acscentsci.0c0128
9. Moniri A, Miglietta L, Holmes A, Georgiou P, Rodriguez-Manzano J. High-Level Multiplexing in
Digital PCR with Intercalating Dyes by Coupling Real-Time Kinetics and Melting Curve Analysis.
92 93
Anal Chem. 2020 Oct 20;92(20):14181-14188. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03298. Epub 2020
Oct 2. PMID: 32954724.
10. Hernandez B, Herrero P, Rawson TM, Moore LSP, Evans B, Toumazou C, Holmes AH, Georgiou P.
Supervised learning for infection risk inference using pathology data. BMC Med Inform Decis
Mak. 2017 Dec 8;17(1):168. doi: 10.1186/s12911-017-0550-1. PMID: 29216923; PMCID:
PMC5721579.
11. Rawson TM, Gowers SAN, Freeman DME, Wilson RC, Sharma S, Gilchrist M, MacGowan A, Lovering
A, Bayliss M, Kyriakides M, Georgiou P, Cass AEG, O'Hare D, Holmes AH. Microneedle biosensors
for real-time, minimally invasive drug monitoring of phenoxymethylpenicillin: a rst-in-human
evaluation in healthy volunteers. Lancet Digit Health. 2019 Nov;1(7):e335-e343. doi: 10.1016/
S2589-7500(19)30131-1. Epub 2019 Sep 30. PMID: 33323208.
12. Gowers SAN, Freeman DME, Rawson TM, Rogers ML, Wilson RC, Holmes AH, Cass AE, O'Hare D.
Development of a Minimally Invasive Microneedle-Based Sensor for Continuous Monitoring of β-
Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations in Vivo. ACS Sens. 2019 Apr 26;4(4):1072-1080. doi: 10.1021/
acssensors.9b00288. Epub 2019 Apr 17. PMID: 30950598.
30. Engineering microorganisms for
compound production and space exploration
Dr Angeles Hueso-Gil & Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro - Imperial College London
Overview
One of the main limitations for Space Exploration comes from the expensiveness of putting certain
weight in orbit. A purposed solution for this problem is the in situ production of compounds of
interest, like fuels, polymers or food supplies for astronauts. We are currently using microorganisms
(bacteria and yeast) to produce some of these compounds with commercial value in Earth, and many
others are under study for their bioproduction at industrial scale. Therefore, bioproduction has the
potential to be exported to other locations out of Earth (1). The eciency of these processes
depends on the optimized function of a set of enzymes encoded in genes. Nevertheless, undesired
mutations compromise the genetic stability and eectiveness of designed strains. They severely
damage DNA, introduce heterogeneity, lower the production yields and limit microorganisms viability,
with subsequent economical loses (2,3). Despite the errors made by polymerases during replication,
mutation rate is dramatically increased in the presence of radiation and oxidative stress. Both
entangled stresses are usually aecting cultures, but they become more problematic in some
particular areas on Earth and extra-terrestrial environments.
Therefore, in situ bioproduction needs a microorganism that can overcome these issues robustly. For
that purpose, producer strains (industrial bacteria like B. subtilis or P. putida and industrial yeasts like
S. cerevisiae or Y. lipolytica; 5,6) should be improved to enhance their stress resistance. This can be
done modifying own natural mechanisms or importing new ones from highly resistant microorganism
like Deinococcus radiodurans, the organism most resistant to radiation known to date. These robust
organisms can be further modied to produce compounds relevant for space exploration using
waste or abundant space resources as substrates for biotransformation.
Related Case Experiences
Previous works, so far limited to the expression of a single protein from a resistant organism, have
identied and characterised some of the mechanisms that reduce radiation or redox impact on
microorganisms (7,8). Importantly, previous NASA programs are destined to elucidate the eects of
outer space radiation into dierent organisms, since overcoming them is key for long space trips,
terraforming and colonization. However, it becomes necessary to attempt a deep redesign of an
industrial microorganism to build more resistant strains, able to perform their activities in an
endurable manner.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
The results of this research will benet both Earth sustainable bioproduction and Space Exploration.
In the short term, the advantages of a robust strain will be applied to industrial bioproduction, which
will lead to a lower spoilage of cultures and a reduction of economic loses. Bioproduction is usually
more sustainable and cleaner process than chemical synthesis. In addition, engineered
microorganisms can be designed to use waste materials as substrate and transform them into high-
value compounds. This will lead to a circular Bioeconomy or Green Economy, more respectful with
the environment. On the other side, in a medium term, generated strains can be used for
bioremediation as their higher resistance make them more suitable to keep their functions in hostile
environments such as deserted areas. In a longer-term, robust strains can be used in space
exploration. Engineered microbes will use either wastes from the spacecraft or resources from the
destination place to produce compounds to support human life and settlements, including nutrients,
pharmaceuticals or materials for dierent purposes (1). The utilization of these biotechnological
advances represent an important benet to reduce costs of space missions, as tiny fractions (mgs) of
lyophilised cells can be put in orbit in a light and cheap way to be later expanded for their utilization
in other locations when needed.
References
1. Nangle, S. N., Wolfson, M. Y., Hartsoug, L., Ma, N. J., Mason, C. E., Merighi, M., Nathan, V., Silver, P.
A., Simon, M., Swett, J., Thompson D. B. & Ziesack, M. (2020) The case for biotech on Mars. Nat.
Biotechnol. 38, 401–407.
2. Adams B L (2016) The Next Generation of Synthetic Biology Chassis: Moving Synthetic Biology
from the Laboratory to the Field. ACS Synth Bio 5(12):1328-1330.
3. Rugbjerg P & Sommer M O A (2019) Overcoming genetic heterogeneity in industrial
fermentations. Nat Biotechnol. 37(8):869-876.
4. Xu, X., Liu, Y., Du, G., Ledesma-Amaro, R. & Liu, L. (2020) Microbial Chassis Development for
Natural Product Biosynthesis. Trends Biotechnol 38(7):779-796.
5. Liu, Y., Su, A., Li, J., Ledesma-Amaro, R., Xu, P., Du, G. and Liu, L. (2020) Towards next-generation
model microorganism chassis for biomanufacturing. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 104(21):9095-
9108.
6. Xu, X., Liu, Y., Du, G., Ledesma-Amaro, R. and Liu, L. (2020) Microbial Chassis Development for
Natural Product Biosynthesis. Trends in Biotechnology 38(7)
7. Wen, L., Yue, L., Shi, Y., Ren, L., Chen, T., Li, N., Zhang, S., Yang, W. & Yang, Z. (2016) Deinococcus
radiodurans pprI expression enhances the radioresistance of eukaryotes. Oncotarget
7(13):15339-55
8. Park, S.H., Singh, H., Appukuttan, D., Jeong, S., Choi, Y. J., Jung, JH., Narumi, I. and Lim, S. (2016)
PprM, a Cold Shock Domain-Containing Protein from Deinococcus radiodurans, Confers
Oxidative Stress Tolerance to Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 7:2124
94 95
31. Metabolic physiology and space ight
Prof Ian Macdonald & Prof Paul Greenha - University of Nottingham, UK
Overview
When in low-gravity environments, the leg muscles of space crew (which are weight-bearing on Earth)
are largely inactive, except when intentionally exercising. Disuse of these large muscle groups results
in decreased muscle size, strength and endurance, and has a negative impact on astronauts when
exposed to greater gravitational forces, such as when returning to Earth.
Physical inactivity and sedentary time in terrestrial populations aects quality of life, increasing risk of
poor metabolic health, functional decline and non-communicable disease development (e.g. type 2
diabetes, hypertension, heart disease) over the life-course. Furthermore, some of the underlying
pathologies associated with physical inactivity on Earth (insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, altered fuel
metabolism) are also observed in astronauts following time spent in microgravity and could
negatively aect their health on longer missions. However, onset rate and magnitude of these
pathophysiological responses, whether on Earth or in space, remain unclear.
The similarity between the health eects of muscle disuse experienced by astronauts and those seen
in terrestrial populations as a result of physical inactivity creates an opportunity to directly apply
scientic knowledge from Earth-based studies to the Space scenario and vice versa.
Notably, UK researchers have contributed to scientic understanding of the physiological eects, and
molecular mechanisms underpinning adverse consequences of muscle-unloading in microgravity,
which have helped inform developments in exercise countermeasures and nutrition for crew during
longer-term space ight.
Related Case Experiences
University of Nottingham (UoN) physiologists have conducted assessments of the metabolic and
molecular eects of muscle-unloading of dierent durations; in humans using Earth-based models of
microgravity such as bed-rest and limb immobilisation (including as collaborators in an ESA 60-day
bed rest study), and in an animal model (C.elegans) after periods residing on the ISS. Moreover, in
terrestrial populations, UoN researchers have examined the ecacy of dietary, nutritional
supplements and exercise interventions to address the development of non-communicable diseases
and their risk factors and are conducting studies to understand the molecular control of skeletal
muscle function in health, ageing and disease.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Individuals in the UK are living longer, but increased life expectancy is coupled with greater numbers
of those living with non-communicable diseases and disabilities. Alarmingly, the age that individuals
develop these conditions is decreasing and without signicant improvements to the health of the
population, the future burden on UK health and social systems will increase.
Despite considerable scientic interest in chronic disease development and aging processes, there is
still much that is unclear. Conducting longer-term inactivity studies in humans to investigate body
systems under controlled conditions (and testing ecacy of countermeasures) is dicult due to
requiring specialist residential facilities and high associated running costs. Current space-related
research e.g. NASA/ESA bed-rest programmes, provide an opportunity for multiple researchers to
concurrently study the body’s responses to musculoskeletal-unloading across a range of systems.
However, opportunities to access these programmes are extremely limited and there would be merit
in developing a UK facility and similar programmes to support the work of National researchers and
stakeholders across multiple disciplines.
32. Space health and interdisciplinary
practice.
Myles Harris - UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR), UK
Overview
Space medicine focuses on the biomedical (physical) model of health in space and acute medical
emergencies; however, astronaut’s health needs include minor injury or illness and psycho-social
care. The holistic approach to healthcare in space can be described as ‘space health’.
Space health brings to the surface many challenges. There are limited resources (human and
equipment), a diminishing scope for telemedicine as exploratory space missions venture further into
space and no option of a rapid aeromedical evacuation to Earth – the loss of the ‘golden-hour’ of
trauma care (injury to surgery within an hour) on Earth similarly applies to space health. With this in
mind, healthcare providers in space are required to have interdisciplinary healthcare practice to be
able to meet the holistic care needs of astronauts.
At present, the biomedical foci of space medicine and absence of literature or substantial evidence of
space health practice means healthcare providers in space are reliant on their clinical intuition and
experience (which may or may not be applicable to space health), heuristically developing space
health practice. Thus, astronauts are exposed to clinical practice unsupported by evidence and
human error; this is a healthcare system vulnerability and a risk of disaster.
Related Case Experiences
The most closely related active research are being lead by military forces investigating ‘prolonged eld
care’ (PFC). The concept of PFC is prehospital healthcare in remote environments with limited
resources. However, this research is limited to the context of military healthcare systems, i.e.
deployment of small and autonomous units to remote environments. An example is the Royal Centre
for Defence Medicine (RCDM) PFC research group.
A PhD research project at UCL IRDR (in collaboration with RCDM) involves researching PFC in the
context of remote environments and space. The aim of this research is to systematically develop an
evidence-based PFC theory to inform policy and clinical practice. Military and civilian healthcare
practitioners, from a variety of related disciplines, are included so the ndings are representative of
PFC practice with limited resources in remote environments and space. The ndings of this research
will inform interdisciplinary space health practice and contribute to reducing the risk of disaster in
remote environments.
UK Analogue Mission are developing a pilot analogue mission that will investigate interdisciplinary
space health within the context of a simulated exploration of an other planetary body. This will be the
rst empirical study in the UK that investigates interdisciplinary space health practice.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Space health correlates with remote heath on Earth. Similarly there is limited access to resources,
multidisciplinary healthcare services and rapid aeromedical evacuation. The UN Department of
Economic and Social Aairs predict that, despite increasing global urbanisation, approximately 3.1 –
3.3 billion people will be living in a remote environment between the years 2015 and 2050. Health
research in the remotest environment of space will produce valuable ndings for remote health
practice on Earth, contributing to the promotion of resilience and sustainable development for
humankind.
96 97
33. Harnessing Microgravity as an
Accelerated Model for Musculoskeletal
Ageing.
Samantha W. Jones¹, Shahjahan Shigdar¹, James Henstock¹, Kai Hoettges², Chris McArdle¹,
Anne McArdle1 & Malcolm J Jackson1
¹MRC-Versus Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal
Ageing (CIMA), Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences and ²Department of Electrical
Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, UK.
Overview
Shifting demographics are increasingly aecting modern societies, contributing to increasing
numbers of older adults with poor health. The mechanistic basis for age-related muscle loss remains
unclear, but research has demonstrated that skeletal muscle of older individuals shows
maladaptation to exercise, compromising the ability to maintain muscle function. In an analogous but
accelerated manner, the muscles of astronauts undergoing spaceight also rapidly lose mass. Whilst
regular bouts of aerobic and resistance training reduce microgravity-induced muscle loss, the
preventative eects remain incomplete.
Therefore, there is an impetus to determine whether attenuations of responses to exercise are
analogous under both conditions. This will identify opportunities for mitigation strategies,
pharmaceutical interventions or technologies to benet both astronaut health under space-ight and
the health and quality of life for older people.
Related Case Experience
The Skeletal Muscle Research group at the University of Liverpool are conducting several studies, with
the support of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and European Space Agency (ESA), to address
fundamental questions pertaining to mechanisms of muscle loss under microgravity and how they
relate to musculoskeletal ageing on earth.
The MicroAge project, scheduled for launch in November 2021, is a UKSA-funded national mission to
the International Space Station (ISS) performed in partnership with Kayser Space Ltd. The study will
assess muscle adaptations to contractile activity occurring in tissue-engineered skeletal muscle
constructs exposed to microgravity on the ISS.
Changes in mitochondria may underlie the failed adaptations and so loss of muscle. Building upon
the foundations of MicroAge, the group are also performing a UKSA-funded feasibility study
(MicroAge II), designed to develop approaches to examine how muscle mitochondria change in
microgravity and during ageing.
Finally, in collaboration with ESA and the German Aerospace Centre, the research group are
exploiting the state-of-the-art FLUMIAS microscope on board the ISS to examine the role of
mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H202) as a mediator of rapid muscle loss under microgravity.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving Research and Innovation
The UK government’s industrial strategy has set out ‘healthy ageing’ as a Grand Challenge,
highlighting the importance of harnessing the power of research and innovation to meet the needs of
our older population whilst achieving 5 more years of healthy ageing by 2035. Microgravity
environments and analogues are an important resource for ageing research, providing a platform to
examine accelerated ageing phenotypes in skeletal muscle and other major organs. Such research
activities have clear terrestrial benet, extending from fundamental mechanistic studies, through to
the identication of druggable targets. Such work will also contribute to alleviating the use of animals
in basic laboratory research.
From a space-ight perspective, the Artemis programme is ushering in a new era of space exploration
as humanity pushes boundaries, building a long-term presence on the moon by the end of the
decade. The Artemis missions will build the foundations for supporting and sustaining life away from
earth, as such it is important for us to understand the biological implications of such endeavours so
that we may develop eective intervention strategies to preserve astronaut health under
microgravity.
34. Surgery, Trauma and Human Spaceight
Dr James Clark and Dr Rebecca Jones; Academic Surgical Unit (ASU) - Cornwall.
Overview
It is estimated that the cost of training one astronaut is circa £11 million. The requirement to protect
such high-value assets is evident, both from the ethical as well as the nancial, in order to preserve
mission integrity. Although no surgical procedures have been performed on humans during space
ight to date, the risk of a problem arising that requires surgical intervention is nonetheless real
particularly with further increases in crew size and mission duration projected in the near future for
the International Space Station (ISS) and the exploration-class missions that will follow. Moreover, the
probability of trauma (including penetrating trauma, lacerations, crush injuries, thermal and electrical
burns) occurring will increase as astronauts conduct ISS construction-related extravehicular activities
that involve manipulation of high-mass hardware. Routine surgical diseases such as appendicitis and
cholecystitis can occur indiscriminately at seemingly random times.
The Military approach to providing emergency medical care to high-value assets employs a tiered
system, with a baseline presence of individuals with some medical training as “Role 1”, and “Role 2”
Damage Control Surgery capabilities being deployed with trained personnel to mitigate the risk to life
during periods of high-risk activity. This approach however relies upon a surgical team (which may be
as large as an entire space mission crew itself), equipment, and the ability to evacuate the stabilised
casualty for denitive treatment, which would present particular challenges for casualties whilst
inight, on the Moon or beyond. This existing model is based upon the open surgery technique, the
current standard of care for severely injured patients being operated on in remote locations, which
may be less suited to the microgravity environment due the behaviours of liquids and potential
contamination of the vehicle.
The ability to perform surgery during spaceight will also bring with it the question of when to
operate. Deep space exploration missions will have no option for resupply or evacuation, and
attempts to save the life of a critically-injured or unwell astronaut could rapidly consume available
resources. It may be necessary to abandon treatment in those who do not respond to initial therapy.
Any surgical capability must therefore be developed with an ethical framework for its use.
Reection on previous activity in the eld includes:
1997 USA; Simulated zero gravity ight; small animals; identication of main surgical challenges.
98 99
2006 France; Simulated zero-gravity ight, rst operation on a human.
1992 NASA/DARPA: translational research. Robotic Surgery. One of the largest surgical
biotechnology markets globally.
USA: NEEMO 7 trial; Evaluated surgical telementoring.
Related Case Experiences
The Southwest has strong expertise in space technologies and satellite applications, including
Goonhilly Earth Station, Spaceport Cornwall and the Aerohub Enterprise Zone; promoting access to
specialist help to remote areas using satellite applications.
Telemedicine has never been more palpable than during the COVID-19 pandemic with work within
the ASU-Cornwall into the benets of Mixed Reality systems.
UK Surgical Robotic companies are challenging the boundaries on the size of their systems; essential
for robotics to be part of the solution.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
In 2021, the market size of the Biotechnology industry is £75.3bn. The UK has always led globally on
innovation in many areas but the key links to support the vast potential for innovation and
commercialisation from research within this sector will need fostering.
Innovations which will promote:
1. More ecient global health and military disaster relief support.
2. Improved trauma outcomes through enhanced pre-hospital care.
3. Reduce hospital admissions through remote care.
35. Technology Transfer from Space Medicine
to Global Health on Earth
Prof. Thais Russomano, MD, MSc, PhD - CHAPS, King’s College London UK & InnovaSpace UK
Overview
Exposure to microgravity aects the entire human body and mind. Astronauts in space for short- or
long-term missions have demonstrated important physiological changes, which may lead to
undesirable health consequences, requiring clinical evaluation, diagnostic procedures and treatment
interventions. Missions often take place without a qualied doctor on board. Consequently,
astronauts undergo training to equip them with the necessary skills to identify health problems,
collect and transmit medical data to a ground-based doctor, and perform basic medical procedures
and treatment.
Important health-related information can be obtained from arterial blood variables, however it is
currently not possible to collect arterial blood in the space setting due to potential undesirable
complications, such as risk of pain, infection, and hematoma, potential blood contamination of the
environment, and the need for a medically certied crew member to perform the procedure.
Accordingly, an alternative procedure was developed using arterialized blood collected from the
earlobe.
Related Case Experience
An Earlobe Arterialized Blood Collector (EABC) device was developed to standardize blood collection
from the earlobe and prevent contamination of the environment. The rst EABC prototype, designed
in 2000 by researchers at the Microgravity Centre/PUCRS-Brazil, was tested in collaboration with a
team from King’s College London, and has subsequently undergone modications and adaptations,
leading to 6 versions. Numerous studies have been conducted on the ground, including head-down
tilt, hypoxia exposure and exercise, while its operability in microgravity was successfully validated
during an ESA parabolic ight campaign in 2006. The basic functionality and operability include
earlobe incision, blood collection and blood sample storage for analysis.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Technology transfer from space to terrestrial application is an important consideration for any
pioneering technology. Consequently, the EABC was evaluated for use in a clinical context on Earth,
with studies funded by the European Space Agency. Research involving hemodialysis and intensive
care patients produced motivating results, indicating that the EABC works in dierent clinical settings
and, therefore, could be considered a safe and easy -to-use method for accessing arterialized blood
for medical diagnoses, not only in space missions but also on Earth.
The EABC received extensive media recognition, with interviews in magazines, newspapers, podcasts
and radio & television programs in European, Asian, and South American countries, and the United
States. The EABC was also presented at scientic fairs and featured in an 8-month long exhibition the
Science Museum in London, UK, which has more than 3 million visitors a year. These activities aimed
to highlight the benets of Space to Earth technology transfer in the area of global health and
biomedical engineering.
Research results suggest the EABC device to be easy to use, safe, low-cost and space proof, enabling
the collection of arterialized blood as an alternative to arterial puncture/cannulation, both in the
austere environment of space and clinical settings on Earth.
100 101
36. Multi-Omics and Space Biology – The
Case for Integration in the UK
Dr. Willian Abraham da Silveira - Queen’s University Belfast.
Overview
Omics is associated with the analysis of biological big data, with modern high-throughput techniques,
to obtain the whole makeup of a given biological function. On November 2020, the largest set of
astronaut data and space biology data ever produced were published by journals of the Cell Press.
NASA’s omics initiative of the Space Biology and Human Research Programme and Twins study
formed the foundation of the collection, with one original research paper being the cover of Cell
Journal itself. This international collaborative work had an UK university – Queen’s University Belfast –
in the forefront of the publication.
The work used an integrated analysis of mammalian space biology using a systems biology approach
powered by multiple ‘‘omic’’ platforms and reported a widespread alteration related to mitochondrial
dysfunction in diverse cell lines, mice tissues and astronauts as a unifying factor for spaceight
biological impact.
Related Case Experiences
Reection on previous activity in the eld (where pertinent/available) include:
The article “Comprehensive Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Mitochondrial Stress as a Central
Biological Hub for Spaceight Impact” from da Silveira and co-authors, received worldwide
coverage from 197 media outlets from 33 countries. It was evaluated to be on the at top 5% of all
research outputs scored by Altmetric and including coverage from Forbes, CNN, National
Geographic and the UKRI. Showing that Spaceight Omics research can reach a diverse audience
and have a great impact on public opinion on Space research,
At 2020 the Space Omics Topical Team funded by ESA was co-founded by a UK-based researcher
and possess a strong UK component from the University of Exeter, Nottingham, Cambridge,
University College London, King's College London and Queen’s University Belfast. There is also a
strong UK component on the recent funded International Standards for Space Omics Processing
(ISSOP) consortium. This put the UK in a strategic position to further develop the future of Space
biology research.
Impact and Terrestrial Benet: Driving research and innovation
Omics is part of a new era of personalized medicine enabled by new technologies. In 2020, 39% of all
new drug approval from the FDA were Personalized Medicine treatments. The use of the Space
environment in Translational Omics Research can speed up the development of new tes