Abstract
In spite of the experience gained in human space flight since Yuri Gagarin’s historical flight in 1961, there has yet to be identified a completely effective countermeasure for mitigating the effects of weightlessness on humans. Were astronauts to embark upon a journey to Mars today, the 6-month exposure to weightlessness en route would leave them considerably debilitated, even with the implementation of the suite of piece-meal countermeasures currently employed. Continuous or intermittent exposure to simulated gravitational states on board the spacecraft while traveling to and from Mars, also known as artificial gravity, has the potential for enhancing adaptation to Mars gravity and re-adaptation to Earth gravity. Many physiological functions are adversely affected by the weightless environment of spaceflight because they are calibrated for normal, Earth’s gravity. Hence, the concept of artificial gravity is to provide a broad-spectrum replacement for the gravitational forces that naturally occur on the Earth’s surface, thereby avoiding the physiological deconditioning that takes place in weightlessness. Because researchers have long been concerned by the adverse sensorimotor effects that occur in weightlessness as well as in rotating environments, additional study of the complex interactions among sensorimotor and other physiological systems in rotating environments must be undertaken both on Earth and in space before artificial gravity can be implemented.
Highlights
Preparations for human missions to Mars in the not-too-distant future are underway
The objective of this paper is to provide a broad overview of recent ground-based and in-flight studies that relate to the effects of artificial gravity as a potential countermeasure
A total of 19 studies have been performed evaluating the effectiveness of short-radius centrifugation providing 1–2 G at the heart during bed rest or dry immersion interventions lasting from 3–28 days
Summary
Preparations for human missions to Mars in the not-too-distant future are underway. As a result of these years long missions, explorers will face severe physiological deconditioning due to weightlessness if new, more effective countermeasures are not developed. Space experiments and operational flight experience have identified detrimental effects on human health and performance as a result of exposure to weightlessness, even when currently available countermeasures are implemented. Long-duration human missions like going to Mars cannot be seriously considered until the problems associated with weightlessness exposure are successfully addressed. Artificial gravity is an alternative approach to addressing the problems of weightlessness-induced effects on the human body. It is obvious that artificial gravity cannot address all of the problems associated with long duration space flight. It can do nothing for radiation exposure, altered day-night cycles, and the psychological issues that are likely to arise from extended confinement and isolation. The limits for human adaptation to rotation rate, gravity gradient, and Coriolis and cross-coupled accelerations need to be revisited
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