Astronauts and astronauts on the International Space Station must first conduct research, including on themselves. Various experiments are associated with the physical and mental state of man in space. Space experience is sometimes transferred to Earth — Russian scientists are planning to test low-frequency electrostimulation techniques, which in the future may make life easier for patients with chronic heart failure.
As part of the experiment, the experimental subjects will spend five days in immobility in a “dry” bath. One of the subjects is Mark Serov, head of the RSC Energia flight test center, 10 volunteers are participating in total. Research takes place at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP RAS).
Photo by Oleg Voloshin, from the Facebook page of IMBP RASFor the body, microgravity is a serious stress: without sufficient training, bone density decreases and muscle tissue decreases, most astronauts have
vision problems during or after space missions. The influence of various factors affecting a person became more and more noticeable with increasing flight times.
If Yuri Gagarin in space in 1961 was 108 minutes, then the record was 437 days
Valery Polyakova in 1994-1995 at the Mir station, and the total cosmonaut was in space for more than 678 days. Gennady Padalka has a record for the total flight time - 878 days. American astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the ISS and
told in detail how hard it was to live on Earth after returning: “I get to the bedroom without incident and close the door. My whole body hurts. All joints, all muscles protest against oppressive gravity. And I feel sick, even though I haven’t vomited. ”
In pursuit of the
duration of their stay in space, astronauts thought out all the new tools. Among the means used to support the work of the muscles, myostimulation is used - under the action of an electric current, muscle contractions occur, they passively train, while the astronaut can do work. Russian scientists are working on a methodology that should use this method to help people with chronic heart failure.
Studies of the new method at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP RAS) will be held until the end of May 2018. For five days, the test subjects will be in a bathroom filled with water of 33 degrees Celsius, but separated from the liquid by a waterproof film. For fifteen minutes a day, they will be able to leave the bathroom for hygienic procedures, and the rest of the time - to lie still. In the process of research, subjects were electrostimulated. Further studies will be conducted with the participation of older people in the first MGMU them. Sechenov.
The head of the flight test department of the RSC Energia test cosmonaut Mark Serov was one of the volunteers. His quotation is
given on the page of the IMBP RAS: “Participation in the next model experiment of the SSC RAS, this time in the“ dry immersion ”, for me is the continuation of our work on the creation of promising space complexes. To be a tester, including in similar experiments, is generally a duty and a good tradition of the flight test service of the firm S.P. Queen. Many now deserved specialists, cosmonauts, managers at one time took part in the IBMP model experiments and gained invaluable experience and professional knowledge. Strictly speaking, you can become a real professional, a high-ranking specialist by developing professional skills, and not just skills. Professional skill is the ability to flexibly adapt your knowledge and skills to changing and more complex tasks. Gaining diverse experience and knowledge through participation in the work of partner organizations, through participation in research and applied research and exchange of experience is the most powerful factor in the development of a true professional. The work on the creation of the Federation "PTS", the targeted use of the ISS RS as a national scientific laboratory, research projects to ensure the lunar program, the SIRIUS program and other model experiments are in my opinion integral parts of a single process. In addition to what is important to me personally, experts note a high correlation of the body's reactions in the “dry immersion” and in the acute period of adaptation to the factors of space flight. For me, it's also just training! ”
The research grant was awarded to the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IMBP RAS), tests are conducted in conjunction with the
University of Bern (Switzerland).