Gilles Clément - Böcker

Fundamentals of Space Biology is the third textbook addressing Space Life Sciences in this Space Technology Library series. The first of these books focused on the psychological and psychiatric issues that affect people who live and work in space (Volume 16, Space Psychology and Psychiatry). The second book described the physiological and medical issues of living in a space environment (Volume 17, Fundamentals of Space Medicine). The objective of this third book was to review the effects of spaceflight on less complex biological systems, from single cells to animals and plants. Indeed, to better understand the changes at the function level, it is necessary to comprehend the changes at cellular and tissue levels. Studies of cell cultures, for example, allow the investigation of the indirect effects of gravity; i.e., those which occur not because of changes in the stimulation of dedicated gravity-sensing organs, but because of the new physical properties resulting from the reduction in gravitational force within the cell.

Winner of the IAA 2008 Life Science Book AwardThis award is given annually to recognize excellence in publication made by a member or a corresponding member of the Academy in the fields related to life science. Protecting the health, safety, and performance of exploration-class mission crews against the physiological deconditioning resulting from long-term weightlessness during transit and long-term reduced gravity during surface operations will require effective, multi-system countermeasures. Artificial gravity, which would replace terrestrial gravity with inertial forces generated by rotating the transit vehicle or by short-radius human centrifuge devices within the transit vehicle or surface habitat, has long been considered a potential solution. However, despite its attractiveness as an efficient, multi-system countermeasure and its potential for improving the environment and simplifying operational activities, much still needs to be learned regarding the human response to rotating environments before artificial gravity can be successfully implemented.This book reviews the principle and rationale for using artificial gravity during space missions, and describes the current options proposed, including a short-radius centrifuge contained within a spacecraft.Experts provide recommendations on the research needed to assess whether or not short-radius centrifuge workouts can help limit deconditioning of physiological systems.

Why write this book? Of all the intricate components of the human body, the central nervous system is the most responsive to the environment, detecting and responding to changes immediately. Its complexity, however, also means that it is still one of nature’s best-kept secrets. Considering that the exploration of space is often thought of as the final frontier in the discovery of our origin and the preparation for our future, Neuroscience in Space is a book addressing the last, and greatest, scientific frontier. All living things on Earth have evolved in the presence of gravity and all of their biological systems have anatomical and physiological mechanisms designed to interpret and measure the force of gravity. However, in the near weightlessness of space, the sensory systems that provide basic information regarding linear acceleration no longer function as they did on Earth. As a result, most if not all, physiological systems dependent on the body’s central nervous system are in flux until a new microgravity state is realized. This includes adaptation of basic life sustaining functions such as blood pressure control and cardiac function, as well as other critical functions for everyday activities including balance, coordinated movement in three-dimensional space, and the regulation of sleep. Bones that supported body weight on the ground no longer have that load to bear. They begin to lose mass and strength, as do weight-bearing and postural muscles in the legs.

Celebrated landscape architect Gilles ClÉment may be best known for his public parks in Paris, including the Parc AndrÉ CitroËn and the garden of the MusÉe du Quai Branly, but he describes himself as a gardener. To care for and cultivate a plot of land, a capable gardener must observe in order to act and work with, rather than against, the natural ecosystem of the garden. In this sense, he suggests, we should think of the entire planet as a garden, and ourselves as its keepers, responsible for the care of its complexity and diversity of life."The Planetary Garden" is an environmental manifesto that outlines ClÉment's interpretation of the laws that govern the natural world and the principles that should guide our stewardship of the global garden of Earth. These are among the tenets of a humanist ecology, which posits that the natural world and humankind cannot be understood as separate from one another. This philosophy forms a thread that is woven through the accompanying essays of this volume: "Life, Constantly Inventive: Reflections of a Humanist Ecologist" and "The Wisdom of the Gardener." Brought together and translated into English for the first time, these three texts make a powerful statement about the nature of the world and humanity's place within it.

This fundamental 3rd Edition offers a comprehensive overview of performance declines observed in astronauts and cosmonauts throughout various space missions, spanning from Gagarin's flight to the Apollo lunar surface activities, as well as Space Shuttle landings and long-duration stays on board the International Space Station.

This fundamental 3rd Edition offers a comprehensive overview of performance declines observed in astronauts and cosmonauts throughout various space missions, spanning from Gagarin's flight to the Apollo lunar surface activities, as well as Space Shuttle landings and long-duration stays on board the International Space Station. This evidence forms the basis for identifying risks to crew health and performance during extended space missions, as well as for developing countermeasures to mitigate these risks.In this edition, you'll read how space agencies are currently gearing up for human missions beyond low-Earth orbit, which necessitates addressing numerous physiological, psychological, operational, and scientific challenges prior to establishing bases on the surface of Moon and Mars. The emerging commercial sub-orbital and orbital flight capabilities have captivated both the public and the scientific community. This book also identifies the anticipated hurdles, or "showstoppers," for these space missions and what must be understood to grasp fully the implications and risks for space explorers.Over 650 astronauts from various nations have collectively spent over 184 years in space. Currently, the 72nd expedition crew resides on the International Space Station, maintaining a continuous human presence since 2000. Investigations during this time have explored issues like bone and muscle health, space motion sickness, immune function changes, crew dynamics, and medical challenges such as visual impairment and radiation effects. These studies, including those led by Gilles Clément, have provided valuable insights into human adaptation to space.

A total of more than 240 human space flights have been completed to date, involving about 450 astronauts from various countries, for a combined total presence in space of more than 70 years. The seventh long-duration expedition crew is currently in residence aboard the International Space Station, continuing a permanent presence in space that began in October 2000. During that time, investigations have been conducted on both humans and animal models to study the bone demineralization and muscle deconditioning, space motion sickness, the causes and possible treatment of postflight orthostatic intolerance, the changes in immune function, crew and crew-ground interactions, and the medical issues of living in a space environment, such as the effects of radiation or the risk of developing kidney stones. Some results of these investigations have led to fundamental discoveries about the adaptation of the human body to the space environment. Gilles Clément has been active in this research. This readable text presents the findings from the life science experiments conducted during and after space missions.Topics discussed in this book include: adaptation of sensory-motor, cardio-vascular, bone, and muscle systems to the microgravity of spaceflight; psychological and sociological issues of living in a confined, isolated, and stressful environment; operational space medicine, such as crew selection, training and in-flight health monitoring, countermeasures and support; results of space biology experiments on individual cells, plants, and animal models; and the impact of long-duration missions such as the human mission to Mars. The author also provides a detailed description of how to fly a space experiment, based on his own experience with research projects conducted onboard Salyut-7, Mir, Spacelab, and the Space Shuttle.Now is the time to look at the future of human spaceflight and what comes next. The future human exploration of Mars capturesthe imagination of both the public and the scientific community. Many physiological, psychological, operational, and scientific issues need to be solved before the first crew can explore the enigmatic Red Planet. This book also identifies the showstoppers that can be foreseen and what we need to learn to fully understand the implications and risks of such a mission.

Fundamentals of Space Biology is the third textbook addressing Space Life Sciences in this Space Technology Library series. The first of these books focused on the psychological and psychiatric issues that affect people who live and work in space (Volume 16, Space Psychology and Psychiatry). The second book described the physiological and medical issues of living in a space environment (Volume 17, Fundamentals of Space Medicine). The objective of this third book was to review the effects of spaceflight on less complex biological systems, from single cells to animals and plants. Indeed, to better understand the changes at the function level, it is necessary to comprehend the changes at cellular and tissue levels. Studies of cell cultures, for example, allow the investigation of the indirect effects of gravity; i.e., those which occur not because of changes in the stimulation of dedicated gravity-sensing organs, but because of the new physical properties resulting from the reduction in gravitational force within the cell.

And finally, there are new space research opportunities with the Orion space vehicle that will soon replace the Space Shuttle, the Moon, and Mars space exploration program that is slowly but surely taking shape, and the space tourism sector that has become a reality.

William H. Paloski, Ph. D. Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office NASA Johnson Space Center Artificial gravity is an old concept, having gotten its start in the late in the 19th century when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, considered by many to be the father of the Russian space program, realized that the human body might not respond well to the free fall of orbital space flight. To solve this problem, he proposed that space stations be rotated to create centripetal accelerations that might provide inertial loading similar to terrestrial gravitational loading. Einstein later showed in his equivalence principle that acceleration is indeed indistinguishable from gravity. Subsequently, other individuals of note, including scientists like Werner von Braun as well as artists like Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, devised elaborate solutions for spinning vehicles to provide “artificial gravity” that would offset the untoward physiological consequences of spaceflight. By 1959, concerns about the then-unknown human responses to spaceflight drove NASA to consider the necessity of incorporating artificial gravity in its earliest human space vehicles. Of course, owing in part to the relatively short durations of the planned missions, artificial gravity was not used in the early NASA programs.