UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

NASA and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) plan to send astronauts to Mars as early as the next decade. Naturally, this ambitious goal requires a great deal of planning, research, and the anticipation and preparation for all potential challenges in advance. Among them, astronaut health and safety are paramount. In addition to the hazards associated with the long transit times - radiation and the effects of long periods in microgravity - there's the issue of Mars itself. Aside from exposure to elevated radiation levels, Martian gravity is about 38% of Earth's.

This has the potential to lead to long-term health risks. An international team of researchers is currently studying how Martian gravity will affect a key aspect of human health: skeletal muscle. This muscle, which is the most abundant tissue in the human body (accounting for more than 40% of total body mass), is essential to movement and metabolic health. What's more, this tissue is especially sensitive, and lower gravity could potentially result in the substantial loss of muscle strength, size, and performance. It is therefore important to determine how this muscle tissue will fare in the Martian environment.

The research team was composed of scientists from the Institute of Medicine at the University of Tsukuba, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, the Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-GEneration Medicine (INGEM), the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Space Environment Utilization Center, and multiple universities. The results of their research appeared in the journal Science Advances

*Experiments aboard the International Space Station with mice showed that muscle atrophy can be mitigated and prevented in lower gravity.

Credit: NASA/ESA–T. Pesquet*

For their experiment, the team studied how lower gravity affected skeletal muscle tissue in 24 mice sent to JAXA's Kibo experimental module. These mice were then placed in a JAXA-developed centrifuge device called the Multiple Artificial-gravity Research System (MARS), where they were subjected to four different levels of gravity - microgravity, 0.33 g, 0.67 g, and 1 g - over a 28-day period. The mice were subjected to pre-flight testing before launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where they were returned for post-flight sampling.

These samples were then examined by scientists at the Metabolism and Muscle Biology Lab in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Rhode Island (URI). As Professor Marie Mortreux, who leads the MMBL, attested in a Rhoby Today news story:

While we can simulate spaceflight on Earth in humans, it’s extremely complicated and costly. We have centrifuges that can be used to temporarily expose humans to certain gravity levels, but it is not homogeneous nor constant. We used gravity levels that were equally separated, to have a better picture of the dose-response of each system to gravity. The test group that was exposed to 0.33g was extremely close to Martian gravity (0.38g). Our findings for that group can be translated into actions to enable Mars exploration.

Mortreux and her team analyzed the weight, strength, and movement of the mice once they were returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Their analysis showed that 0.33 g mitigated spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy, with full prevention at 0.67 g. They also measured the mice's forelimb grip strength using Electrical impedance myography (EIM), which showed that 0.67 g was sufficient to maintain muscle performance.

*The research team at Kennedy Space Center confirming the protocol and timing prior to receiving animals for post-flight sampling.

Credit: URI*

Their results collectively demonstrated that 0.67 g is a critical threshold for mitigating muscle atrophy caused by prolonged spaceflight. In addition, an analysis of the mice's blood plasma identified 11 metabolites that showed gravity-dependent changes, suggesting they could serve as potential biomarkers to monitor physiological adaptations in astronauts. This work builds on previous research she performed with Professor Mary Bouxsein (a co-author on the study) at Harvard Medical School.

Whereas Dr. Bouxsein developed the ground-based mouse model of partial gravity in the early 2010s, Montreux developed the rat model of partial gravity at Harvard. As such, the two are well-acquainted with the impact that different gravity levels have on musculoskeletal tissues.

"Since this mission aimed to assess gravity as a continuum, we were perfectly positioned to see if our ground-based results had similar outcomes when reduced mechanical loading was applied in orbit," said Montreux. "Working with an international team was challenging and exciting. I think my experience working in Italy, France, and the United States prepared me for those big-scale collaborations."

One takeaway from this study is that future missions to Mars will need to be mindful of mitigating skeletal muscle loss during the long transit between Earth and Mars. For astronauts to maintain mobility, muscle strength, and carry out regular science operations. The same holds true for their physical health upon returning to Earth.

These findings suggest that rotating toruses would be a wise addition to any future spaceflight plans, a la NASA's Non-Atmospheric Universal Transport Intended for Lengthy United States Exploration (NAUTILUS-X) and similar aspects.

Further Reading:

Rhody Today, Science Advances

When we think of asteroids, we almost immediately think of giant rocks bouncing around like the iconic chase scene in Empire Strikes Back, and we often hear how they are remnants from the birth of the solar system. While the asteroids that comprise the Main Asteroid Belt of our solar system are not only spread far apart from each other, they are also not all made of rock. One asteroid approximately the size of the State of Massachusetts called 16 Psyche is made of metal, which planetary scientists hypothesize could be the remnants of a protoplanet’s core that didn’t build into a full-fledged planet. But how did such a unique asteroid form?

Now, an international team of scientists might be one step closer to answering that conundrum, as they attempted to ascertain how a large impact in the north polar region of 16 Psyche might have formed. The findings from this incredible study were recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets and could help scientists gain insight into planetary formation and evolution, specifically during the early days of the solar system.

Using computer models, the researchers conducted 3-D simulations of impacts near the north polar regions of 16 Psyche and how these impacts could influence the interior characteristics of the large asteroid, specifically the distribution of metal within the asteroid. The team used 3-D models since the images from ground-based telescopes have provided limited data and NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which launched in October 2023, isn’t slated to arrive at 16 Psyche until August 2029.

The researchers considered 16 Psyche’s physical shape into their models, noting that 16 Psyche is shaped like a potato while having a large impact basin near its north pole. Additionally, they also considered 16 Psyche’s interior structure, including whether it consists of one type of material throughout, or a homogenous model, and whether it’s layered with an iron core and volcanic rock on the outside. Finally, the team considered the asteroid’s interior porosity, or empty space, and how this played a role in impact crater formation, specifically what’s known as the crater’s depth-diameter ratio, or how deep the crater is compared to how wide it is.

In the end, the researchers developed several hypotheses regarding the interior of 16 Psyche, which they note they will confirm once the Psyche spacecraft arrives at the asteroid.

"One of our main findings was that the porosity – the amount of empty space inside the asteroid – plays a significant role in how these craters form," said Namya Baijal, who is a PhD Candidate at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and lead author of the study. "Porosity is often ignored because it's difficult to include in models, but our simulations show it can strongly affect the impact process and shape of craters left behind."

As noted, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is slated to arrive at 16 Psyche in 2029, whose primary mission goals include determining if 16 Psyche is indeed a metal core remnant of a planetesimal, or an early planetary body. Through this, scientists hope to gain insight into how planets form, as this will be the first time in history that we can directly explore the interior on a planetary body. For context, while the distance from the Earth’s surface to its center is approximately 6,300 kilometers (4,000 miles), we’ve only drilled 12.26 kilometers (7.6 miles) into the Earth, or approximately 0.2 percent to the center of the Earth.

Part of accomplishing this primary goal will be to ascertain the interior composition of 16 Psyche, specifically regarding whether it’s layered or comprised of one mixture. The researchers in this study hypothesized that the 16 Psyche’s interior could play a role in crater morphology, specifically regarding its depth-diameter ratio. For example, they note that a stronger interior of the impact crater target sight would result in preserving large amounts of the impactor, whereas a weaker interior would result in preserving small amounts of the impactor.

Better understanding 16 Psyche and its origins will not only enable scientists to gain greater understanding of how planets throughout the solar system form and evolve, but also planets beyond the solar system. This could, in turn, help scientists understand both where and how to search for life beyond Earth.

What new insight will researchers make into asteroid 16 Psyche, including from the en route Psyche spacecraft? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!