Science & Research

TRISH – BioBank (HSGC Omics)

Biospeciments from the Biobank are also stored at Baylor College of Medicine as part of an omics study. This study aims to perform the gold standard omics analysis to start building an understanding of effects of space on the human body.

Questionnaires: Sleep, Personality, Health, and Immune

The surveys presented to the Polaris Dawn crew will capture their sleep experiences, health history and habits, as well as personality traits to better understand what makes a crew and their mission successful. Scientists will use the collected data to increase the wealth of medical data for researchers to investigate the body’s physiological response to spaceflight.

TRISH – SANS Surveillance

This project collects SANS-related ocular images and vision function data during ground phases of the mission closely following NASA’s protocols. As SANS is NASA’s top human spaceflight risk, and the data collected in this project will create a new dataset, comparable to existing SANS-related datasets collected by NASA on its government astronauts.

LLAMAS

Literally Looking at More Astronauts in Space (LLAMAS) is a student-led is a student-led project from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Space Technologies Lab. The team seeks to design and build a camera to capture immersive views of the Polaris Dawn EVA.

The Omics Lab for Health and Human Performance:

Biospecimens will be processed, stored, and shipped out of the Omics Lab at Embry-Riddle through a collaborative network between Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Anemia and Weill Cornell’s BioBank and SOMA Projects. Studies evaluating how the unique environment of high-altitude orbit spaceflight influences human physiology on a cellular and molecular scale will be characterized through multi-omics and multi-collaborative efforts.

Stone Risk

Weightlessness causes both bone and muscle loss. This loss varies from person to person, but the ability to identify inflight those crewmembers who are most affected, so that countermeasures can be targeted to them, doesn’t currently exist. This study will examine whether first morning urine samples could provide a simple way to track astronaut bone and muscle health in space to individualize countermeasure programs.

Hytro in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, Labfront and KBR:

Blood Flow Restriction In Space

On earth, Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) is used to help patients prevent muscle and bone loss post-surgery, improving the speed and result of rehabilitation. It is hypothesized BFR could be similarly implemented to maintain muscle and bone health while astronauts travel and live in space. During the mission the Polaris Dawn crew will examine how BFR alters blood flow in space using ultrasound and smart watches. This experiment will be the first-time BFR has ever been studied in space.

International Institute for Astronautical Sciences and Nebula Research & Development: Automated Pupillometry

Automated pupillometers are a widespread tool to measure intracranial pressure non-invasively, most commonly used in intensive care units. Most researchers believe the headward fluid shifts caused by microgravity result in increased intracranial pressure in astronauts, possibly leading to Spaceflight Associated Neuroocular Syndrome (SANS). This study proposes using the common hospital tool as a way to non-invasively measure intracranial pressure in spaceflight.

Otolith & Posture

(Supported by TRISH)

Motion sickness is commonly experienced in spaceflight, both upon entering space and after returning to Earth. However, there is a lot of individual variability both to the degree of motion sickness and how long it lasts. One theory to explain these differences lies in the tiny crystals that reside in the inner ear and sense gravity. The theory is that some people have more or larger stones in one ear than the other – or are more sensitive to their motion on one side than the other – and that the brain has learned to compensate for this difference (asymmetry). However, in space, this learned compensation is not appropriate (since it was learned in 1 g on Earth), and this causes space motion sickness. This study will test these differences between the two ears using a tablet computer. If motion sickness is caused by this asymmetry, this could give astronauts insight to motion sickness susceptibility and help them prepare accordingly.

KBR & Level Ex: Ultrasound Innovation

(Supported by TRISH)

During space exploration missions, crew must be prepared to diagnose and treat themselves as medical issues arise. Intelligent medical imagining tools could assist non-physician astronauts understand changes happening inside the body. In this study, the Polaris Dawn crew will use a miniaturized, intelligent ultrasound to scan themselves and collect medical-grade images. 

Space Radiology

In-flight space medicine will be necessary for long-term human spaceflight missions, and radiology will be a critical component, both for diagnostics and interventions. However, access to X-ray imaging is required to evaluate and treat life-threatening pathologies of deep organs such as brain, heart, and lungs. The objective is proof of principle experiments to determine if the ambient space radiation can be used as a first step to achieve in-flight, X-ray radiographs in space.

Level Ex & KBR: Ultrasound Innovation

(Supported by TRISH)

During space exploration missions, crew must be prepared to diagnose and treat themselves as medical issues arise. Intelligent medical imagining tools could assist non-physician astronauts understand changes happening inside the body. In this study, the Polaris Dawn crew will use a miniaturized, intelligent ultrasound to scan themselves and collect medical-grade images.

ONS Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging is a powerful medical and research tool for future exploration missions with a small footprint and a broad functionality. The Polaris Dawn crew will use a novel 3-D ultrasound device to build 3-D images of the structure of the eye to better understand the many changes eyes undergo in microgravity in preparation for both short- and long-duration space exploration.

Brain MRI

Using a novel, portable MRI (Hyperfine), Polaris Dawn crewmembers’ brains will be imaged within hours of returning from space. This will be the first time an astronaut’s brain has been imaged so close to landing and will help explain if the brain changes observed in other astronauts are due to re-adaptation to Earth or reflective of their brains in space.

Intranasal Scopolomine

Motion sickness is commonly experienced in spaceflight, both upon entering space and after returning to Earth. Most motion sickness medications have many unwanted side effects that are less than ideal when launching or landing, including drowsiness. Intranasal scopolamine (scopolamine delivered into the nostril) has been shown to be effective against motion sickness without many of the unwanted side effects. Another benefit of this drug is the speed of its efficacy, so can be used as a “rescue” drug as opposed to most motion sickness medication that requires it to be taken before any symptoms occur.

Occupant Protection

Launching into space and returning to Earth causes the human body to undergo substantial forces. The spacecraft’s seat and respective restraints, spacesuit, and vehicle dynamics determine the forces astronauts are exposed to. Sex, age, anthropometry, and spaceflight deconditioning are just a few of the characteristics that play a role in how well these loads are tolerated. This study aims to identify the injury risk based on all of these factors. That information will be used to assess future risk of injury and develop mitigations.

Radiation Measurements

(Supported by TRISH)

The Polaris Dawn mission’s unique, high-altitude orbit will expose the crew to more radiation than a trip to the International Space Station. This project will supply a HERA-active radiation monitor based on Timepix technology to measure the radiation environment throughout the Polaris Dawn flight as well as Crew Active Dosimeter radiation badges to measure the doses received by the Polaris Dawn crew members. In addition, astronauts have reported seeing flashes of light when their eyes are closed. This is caused by radiation exposure in space, but many questions still exist as to exactly how and why this effect happens. The Polaris Dawn orbit provides a unique opportunity to study the light flash phenomenon in more depth, as we expect more light flashes to occur in higher radiation environments.

Tempus Pro

Tempus Pro, is a commercial off-the-shelf device that can collect and integrate measurements of health, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, and more. The technology also provides ultrasound imaging and video laryngoscopy capabilities with built-in guidance, and will offer an experimental telemedicine feature to help crews get diagnosed in near-real time. To test this technology, the Polaris Dawn crew will compare vital sign collection from Tempus Pro with data gathered from standard periodic health status exams. The technology’s telemedicine feature, which relies on Starlink laser-based communication to connect with doctors and specialists on Earth, will also be tested during a simulation in which a fictional ailment will affect a crew member and the device will be used to develop an appropriate diagnosis based on crew inputs and available documentation.

Nebula Research & Development and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences: Automated Pupillometry

Automated pupillometers are a widespread tool to measure intracranial pressure non-invasively, most commonly used in intensive care units. Most researchers believe the headward fluid shifts caused by microgravity result in increased intracranial pressure in astronauts, possibly leading to Spaceflight Associated Neuroocular Syndrome (SANS). This study proposes using the common hospital tool as a way to non-invasively measure intracranial pressure in spaceflight.

Anemia

All astronauts return from space with anemia. Recent data revealed that red blood cells death was increased in space. This collaborative study will implement novel, cutting-edge technologies to uncover key mechanisms of spaceflight-related anemia. In partnership with Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne.

Orbital High-Energy Space Neutron Activation Project

The amount and energies of neutrons produced when galactic cosmic rays interact with spacecraft, such as the Dragon spacecraft, are not well characterized. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Orbital High-energy Space Neutron Activation Project (OHSNAP) experiment seeks to measure the high-energy neutron environment in the Dragon spacecraft using materials to record neutron interactions, followed by measurement of those materials using ultra-sensitive detectors at PNNL. This information will be used to better estimate the amount and type of radiation exposure the human spaceflight crews would be subject to on future missions, and for comparison to model predictions.

Cognition and Physiology

(Supported by TRISH)

The Polaris Dawn crew’s cognitive performance will be monitored with NASA’s Cognition test battery administered with the Joggle Research app (Pulsar Informatics Inc.) on a tablet device during all phases of the mission. Cognition was designed for high-performing astronauts and consists of ten tests that cover a range of cognitive domains relevant for spaceflight including memory, abstraction, spatial orientation, emotion recognition, risk decision making, and sustained attention. The Polaris Dawn crew will also collect physiological and movement data with a Garmin smartwatch and a novel single-electrode sensor (BioButton, BioIntelliSense Inc.) that will be correlated with the cognitive test data, alertness and mood survey responses, the Dragon spacecraft’s environment (e.g., carbon dioxide and temperature levels), and the outcomes of the other investigators (e.g., spaceflight-induced changes in brain structure).

Pharmacokinetics

Spaceflight alters human physiology due to fluid shifts, muscle and bone loss, immune system dysregulation, and changes in the gastrointestinal tract and metabolic enzymes. These alterations may change how the body processes medications and subsequently might impact drug efficacy and safety. Currently, medications are administered under the assumption they act in a similar way as on Earth. The Polaris Dawn crew will perform a study to determine how the body processes certain common pharmaceuticals, becoming one of the first evidence-based studies of how medications are processed in space.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

One of SpaceX and Polaris Dawn’s driving goals is to make space accessible to more people. More than 10% of the population in the United States is diabetic. With the ability to monitor glucose levels in space, diabetic astronauts will be able to fly with confidence knowing they can manage their diabetes as well in space as on the ground. The fluid shifts that occur in space may affect the accuracy of continuous glucose monitors; this study aims to validate a continuous glucose monitor over the duration of the Polaris Dawn mission.

CPR in SpaceX’s Dragon Spacecraft

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving intervention that requires someone to forcibly pump an unconscious person’s heart by compressing their chest repetitively. Although this has yet to be required in spaceflight, as we continue to expand access to space, the chances of requiring this intervention increases. Additionally, microgravity makes the chest compressions exceedingly challenging. The International Space Station has a procedure if CPR were to be required, but no procedures or best practices exist for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The Polaris Dawn crew will experiment to find the optimal positioning to perform CPR and use a CPR training device to validate the procedures.

Functional Tasks

Adaptation to microgravity causes astronauts to experience severe balance and coordination challenges once they return to a gravitational environment. Currently, astronauts are welcomed back to Earth with medical doctors, nurses, and recovery teams. Future exploration missions will require crew’s to be self-sufficient upon landing on the moon or Mars. A sensorimotor assessment will be critical to help them determine when they are ready to safely leave the vehicle and start exploring.

With NASA: VacuuMed Stability Study

Pharmaceuticals are used in the treatment of most medical disorders; however, the spaceflight environment may affect the efficacy, safety and composition of medications that astronauts rely on to assure health and performance. This study will test commonly used pharmaceuticals for physical and chemical changes after short-term exposure to the spaceflight environment.

Bone Health

Using a rare, cutting-edge high-resolution CT scan of bone density and structure, Polaris Dawn crewmembers’ wrists and ankles will be scanned. The goal of this study is to identify early signs of bone loss and structural changes. If detected, this would be the earliest bone loss has been imaged, and a demonstration that bone structural changes happen within a relatively short five days in microgravity.

Cross-Coupled Illusion

Weightlessness causes bone density loss, muscle loss, brain changes, and affects every system in the human body. Artificial gravity would prevent these changes and make long-duration spaceflight much more tolerable for the human body. One of the easiest ways to provide artificial gravity is with a short-radius centrifuge. However, the short-radius centrifuge can be quite disorienting due to a sensation called the cross-coupled illusion, which makes people feel as if they’re tumbling if they move their head slightly while being spun in the centrifuge. It is possible that this sensation may not happen once the body has adapted to microgravity. This would make the short-radius centrifuge an appealing option for providing artificial gravity on future exploration missions.

Eye Changes

Relatively recently, it was discovered that astronauts were experiencing Spaceflight Associated Neuroocular Syndrome (SANS), which symptoms include swelling of the optic nerve, changes in the shape of the eye, and changes to vision. It is thought this is due to the absence of gravity acting on the body, causing a headward fluid shift and may lead to changes in pressure in the brain and eye. To identify the initial adaptation of the eye upon entering microgravity, the Polaris Dawn crew will don smart contact lenses with tiny micro-sensors that continuously measure pressure inside their eyes. The crewmembers will also measure whether their vision changes on-orbit. This data could confirm fluid shifts are indeed causing changes to the eye, which may ultimately contribute to SANS.

Gravity Transitions

When going to space, crewmembers are exposed to sustained microgravity. Anecdotally, astronauts report an “inversion illusion” in which they feel like they are tumbling forward upside down. While this is a fundamental experience (e.g., going from having gravity to suddenly not), this has never been studied systematically. Upon main engine cutoff, Polaris Dawn crewmembers will pay attention to the sensations they experience in order to capture the feeling. Additionally, crewmembers will pay attention and report sensations upon re-entry to a gravitational environment. We anticipate the Polaris Dawn crew will experience an illusion sensation of pitching backwards or even translating backwards when reintroduced to gravity.

GVS Disorientation

Upon returning to Earth, astronauts suffer from balance and coordination challenges that are a result of their brain readapting to gravity. This study aims to test an analog of that feeling, sending electricity through the inner ears to simulate the balance and coordination challenges astronauts experience. If accurate, this tool could be used to introduce future human spaceflight crews to the sensation during training.

Repeat Flyer Motion Sickness

Generally, when astronauts go to space more than once, their motion sickness is reduced compared to their initial flight. Researchers do not know if that is because astronauts have come up with techniques to avoid provoking motion sickness or if there is a lasting adaptation, or habituation to the microgravity environment. To test this, Polaris Dawn crewmembers will perform provocative head movements and then rank their motion sickness. 

Virtual Reality (VR) training

Long duration spaceflights create a significant gap between training on Earth and performing tasks in space. The ability to meet mission objectives becomes more challenging as skill degrades over this time gap, which may also be accelerated by space adaptations like changes in sensorimotor and cognitive function. In this study, the Polaris Dawn crew will perform manually-piloted Mars landings in virtual reality (VR) before their mission. Soon after they complete their space mission, the crew will perform this task again to explore changes in skill performance after spaceflight and while readapting back to Earth’s environment. This research will help inform how mission critical task performance may be impacted by the space environment, and what operational planning is needed to mitigate these changes in long duration exploration crews, like a mission to Mars.

4C Model

(Supported by TRISH)

Being weightless in microgravity unloads muscles and bones, resulting in a loss of muscle strength and bone density. Similarly, microgravity causes a shift of fluids towards the head, causing swelling of the face and thinning of the lower extremities. Long-duration exploration missions will require a way to monitor body composition and body shape to help monitor health and fitness. This project proposes a space-feasible body composition and body shape analysis achievable with a smartphone and smartwatch. 

With SpaceX: Airway Assessment

Astronauts in microgravity experience a shift of fluids toward the head that may cause swelling of the airways. Airway swelling is well-known to make certain life-saving interventions more difficult to perform successfully. In this study, we will use a fiberoptic camera and ultrasound device to take images and measurements of the vocal cords, larynx, and soft tissue of the upper airway. This information will be critical to informing future planning for spaceflight medical emergencies such as choking, allergic reactions, or need for intubation, and delivery of general anesthesia to facilitate surgery in space.

LEO Plants

The United States Air Force Academy will conduct its first low-Earth orbit botanical space experiment on the Polaris Dawn mission. This investigation of microgravity, magnetic, and fungal influences on root growth will inform plant growth procedures for food viability and sustainability on the Moon or Mars. Additionally, this experiment will provide actionable physical and genetic data relative to plant growth to improve food production here on Earth.

Medication processing

Fluid shifts caused by microgravity affects blood flow in the body. It is possible that veins in the liver and kidney have reduced capabilities in the space environment. This is critical in understanding how the body processes medications in space, which could change medication dosages or efficacy. This study will use doppler ultrasonography of the liver and kidneys to measure blood flow and feed that information into models of how medication is processed in the body.

BioBank

As spaceflight becomes available to a broader range of humanity, there is an opportunity to characterize how spaceflight affects the human body at the genetic level. To achieve that, biological specimens are collected from commercial astronauts before, during, and after the mission. The samples are held within a federated repository, a Biobank, and are made available to any researcher with an ethics-approved study. This particular study focuses on novel and exploratory genetic analysis, pushing the boundaries of what we know about the effects of space on the human body.

SOMA

This study focuses on novel and exploratory genetic and molecular analyses (multi-omics).