A group of K-State researchers with a mock spacecraft are actively helping NASA plan for a mission to Mars.
Carl Ade, an assistant professor of exercise physiology, and Thomas Barstow, professor of exercise physiology, are leading a NASA-funded research project at K-State to test strength, cardiovascular health and aerobic capacity that astronauts need when they land back on Earth after a two-year trip to Mars.
Ade said when the spacecraft returns to earth it will land in either the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, and NASA needs to know how strong and healthy astronauts need to be to get out of the vehicle and into a raft.
The knowledge is important because astronauts spending two years in space will muscle strength because gravity is not keeping them in shape, he said.
“We need to make sure in an emergency scenario that that astronaut is fit enough — cardiovascular, musculoskeletal strength — to get out in case of a fire or the spacecraft is sinking,” he said.
The group is using a built-to-scale mock of the astronaut-carrying portion of the Orion Spacecraft to practice exiting it while testing the participants as they complete the same tasks astronauts need to complete.
“We want to determine if astronauts need to reserve a certain level of strength or cardiovascular capacity during flight so that they can land safely after a one- or two-year mission,” Ade said. “The model capsule lets us test that in a way that is translatable and allows NASA to apply it directly to future missions.”
Ade said once the spacecraft lands in the ocean, the astronauts will need to get out of their seats, find the raft in storage, lift it through the top hatch of the spacecraft, and get out into the raft
While seemingly simple for a person on Earth, spending two years in space makes the task much harder.
“It sounds like an easy task for you and I, but the astronauts are barely going to be able to walk, to be able to see,” said Hunter Post, a graduate student in kinesiology, participating in the research.
Ade said in space, especially in a smaller spacecraft than the International Space Station, astronauts’ hearts and muscles will get smaller, they will lose balance and will have less blood circulation.
“It’s easy in space; you don’t have to work very hard,” he said. “Now you come back to gravity and all of those things kind of add up. We need to make sure they don’t add up to a point where the astronaut is unsafe.”
Additionally, with a mock Mars surface course, the group is testing how astronauts will be able to complete tasks while walking on Mars’ surface.
“We need to make sure they can do mission-critical tasks,” he said. “Can I get out of my landing craft and load the rover up with food and medical supplies? Can I set up communication? Can I rescue a crew member if they fall down?
“And this is the last one,” Ade added, pointing to the spacecraft landing in the ocean. “If they’ve made it home, we need to make sure that they have those capabilities.”
To make sure the astronauts will be able to have those capabilities, Ade said they may need to install a rowing-like exercise machine inside the capsule.
Ade and collaborators previously partnered with the NASA’s Johnson Space Center to find that astronauts’ exercise capacity decreases between 30 and 50 percent in long-duration spaceflight because the heart and small blood vessels are not as effective at transporting oxygen to the working muscle.
Post said he’s excited to be working on the project.
“A lot of people wouldn’t think a small land-grant school to have opportunities like this,” he said. “It just goes to show what can happen when you have good faculty and motivated people.”
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