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Space Medicine

All articles tagged with #space medicine

In-orbit X-rays: portable imaging debuts for astronauts and remote clinics
space-exploration4 hours ago

In-orbit X-rays: portable imaging debuts for astronauts and remote clinics

The Fram2 mission aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon achieved the first in-space X-rays. Four crew members, with about four hours of training, used a portable X-ray device to image a smartwatch, a hand, an abdomen, a pelvis, and a chest in orbit. The resulting images were good enough to aid injury diagnosis and hardware checks, and the device survived launch and re-entry with minimal damage. Experts say portable, rugged, compact X-ray systems could boost crew health care on future missions and even improve medical access on Earth in rural areas; researchers aim to further shrink and harden the technology. The study was published in Radiology on July 14.

via Space|
#astronaut-health#fram2#portable-x-ray
Orbiting X-Rays Break Ground in Space Medicine
science14 hours ago

Orbiting X-Rays Break Ground in Space Medicine

SpaceX’s Fram2 mission conducted the first in-orbit medical X-ray scans with a portable X-ray device, capturing diagnostic-quality images of the hand, forearm, abdomen, pelvis, and chest that were reviewed by three radiologists. The inflight results show radiography can supplement ultrasound for astronaut health, diagnose injuries, and even assess equipment or space-suit integrity, marking a path toward more capable space diagnostics. Future work will aim to miniaturize and harden X-ray systems for vacuum and deep-space use, with real-time imaging guidance for astronauts on Moon missions.

via Gizmodo|
#astronaut-health#radiology#science
Gravity’s Rebound: Spine and Sole Pain After Long Space Missions
space5 days ago

Gravity’s Rebound: Spine and Sole Pain After Long Space Missions

Returning astronauts often feel burning sole pain and lower-back ache within days of landing as swollen intervertebral discs in microgravity are suddenly compressed by Earth's gravity; skin loses its Earth-hardening calluses and the vestibular system re-calibrates, making first steps unsteady. Pain typically peaks around days 2–4 as discs rehydrate and recompress while paraspinal muscles re-adjust. The risk of herniated discs is highest in the first year post-flight, especially in the cervical spine. Recovery follows a pattern: stand soon after splashdown but walk unsteadily for days, height returns to normal in about 10 days, and bone density recovery lags behind. Artemis missions and future Mars transits will face these challenges without on-site ground support, requiring careful postflight conditioning.

via Space Daily|
#astronauts#microgravity#space
Shenzhou-23 keeps China's space station buzzing with biology, medicine and maintenance
science22 days ago

Shenzhou-23 keeps China's space station buzzing with biology, medicine and maintenance

Shenzhou-23 astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying carried out multi-disciplinary experiments (microbiome and nutrient metabolism, visual-motion and microgravity perception, emotional recognition and emergency decision-making), completed in-orbit medical emergency training, and conducted extensive maintenance of life-support systems and health checks on the China Space Station.

via news.cgtn.com|
#china-space-station#life-support-systems#microbiome
437 Days in Orbit: Polyakov’s Mars-Readiness Proof That Never Reached Mars
space24 days ago

437 Days in Orbit: Polyakov’s Mars-Readiness Proof That Never Reached Mars

Valeri Polyakov’s 437 days aboard the Mir space station (1994–95) remains the longest continuous human spaceflight and was explicitly designed to validate a round-trip Mars mission. He tracked and countered physiological effects—bone density and muscle loss, cardiovascular changes, and Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome—while refining exercise and medical protocols. He walked unaided from the Soyuz after 14.5 months, declaring that “We can fly to Mars.” Since then, no mission has exceeded 437 days, as modern programmes favor shorter rotations due to radiation and risk management. The acquired data remains the essential baseline for future Mars missions, now targeted for the early 2030s, leaving Polyakov’s record as a historic milestone waiting for practical application.

via Space Daily|
#long-duration-spaceflight#mars-mission-validation#mir-space-station
Space medical scare could redefine long-duration missions
science1 month ago

Space medical scare could redefine long-duration missions

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a sudden speech disturbance aboard the ISS and returned to Earth early on the SpaceX Crew-11 mission. While no formal diagnosis was disclosed, NASA and space medicine experts say the incident highlights how weightlessness and radiation pose complex health risks that may affect future deep-space missions. As agencies plan longer journeys to the Moon and Mars, there is growing emphasis on onboard medical capabilities, Earth‑linked support, and emerging tools like organ chips to monitor and tailor care for astronauts on extended missions.

via CNN|
#astronauts#deep-space#nasa
Orbiting Mystery: Astronaut Loses Speech Aboard ISS Prompting Emergency Return
space3 months ago

Orbiting Mystery: Astronaut Loses Speech Aboard ISS Prompting Emergency Return

A veteran NASA astronaut, Michael Fincke, suddenly lost the ability to speak aboard the International Space Station for about 20 minutes, triggering emergency protocols and NASA’s first in-orbit medical evacuation. No cause was identified, highlighting the limits of space medicine and raising concerns about health risks on longer missions like Artemis II.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#artemis-ii#iss#medical-evacuation
Space medical mystery: astronaut's sudden speech loss on ISS unresolved
science3 months ago

Space medical mystery: astronaut's sudden speech loss on ISS unresolved

NASA is investigating a mid-January medical episode in which Pittsburgh astronaut Mike Fincke suddenly couldn't speak aboard the International Space Station; doctors ruled out a heart attack, but the exact cause remains unknown after ultrasound tests and extensive medical reviews, prompting an early return for Fincke and the canceled spacewalk for crewmates—though Fincke says he feels fine and hopes to fly again one day.

via CBS News|
#international-space-station#medical-episode#mike-fincke
ISS Medical Evacuation After 25 Years Highlights Space Health Care
space-exploration5 months ago

ISS Medical Evacuation After 25 Years Highlights Space Health Care

The first medically evacuated astronaut in 25 years from the ISS underscores how space health care is evolving: while NASA hasn’t disclosed details of the Crew-11 incident, crews rely on onboard medical officers and telemedicine with Earth experts; space-related health issues—dermatoses, congestion, sleep disruption, and musculoskeletal injuries—are common, and as missions extend deeper into space, Earth-independent medical operations and AI-assisted care will become increasingly important—though the episode also shows how far medicine in space has come.

via Space|
#crew-11#international-space-station#medical-evacuation
Shenzhou-21 Crew Deepens On-Orbit Science with Xiaohang Robot
space5 months ago

Shenzhou-21 Crew Deepens On-Orbit Science with Xiaohang Robot

China’s Shenzhou-21 crew—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—nearly 80 days in orbit as they advance diverse experiments aboard the Chinese space station, including interactive tests with the intelligent robot Xiaohang (touch, autonomous flight) and data collection to optimize its motion. In space medicine, they use a Raman spectrometer to analyze urine metabolites and collect saliva to study space-associated microbial changes; they also gather samples for a project on the origin of the genetic code and chirality in space. In microgravity physics, they continue electrochemical optical tests on lithium‑ion batteries for space use. Maintenance tasks included replacing a sampling cover in the combustion science cabinet, disassembling/reassembling modules, and swapping samples in the fluid physics cabinet. A system-wide pressure emergency drill strengthened crew-ground coordination, and regular medical checks and exercise were conducted.

via news.cgtn.com|
#microgravity#robotics#shenzhou-21
NASA to Send Human Cells on Microchips to the Moon for Space Research
science9 months ago

NASA to Send Human Cells on Microchips to the Moon for Space Research

NASA is deploying tiny lab devices called organ chips with human cells aboard Artemis II to study how space affects human biology, focusing initially on bone marrow, to improve health protections for astronauts on lunar and Mars missions. These chips will help personalize medical care, predict responses to space radiation, and enhance safety during long-duration space travel.

via Earth.com|
#astronaut-health#deep-space-radiation#nasa
Preparing Humans for Mars: Medical Challenges and Space Medicine Solutions
science-and-technology10 months ago

Preparing Humans for Mars: Medical Challenges and Space Medicine Solutions

The article discusses the challenges of human space travel, particularly to Mars, highlighting how space medicine can improve astronaut health and potentially benefit health on Earth by addressing issues like osteoporosis, muscle loss, and metabolic changes caused by microgravity. It also notes that current astronaut selection is limited by health criteria, but advances in space medicine could broaden eligibility and support long-term space missions.

via vox.com|
#astronaut-health#human-spaceflight#mars-travel