Subgravity states: Key to understanding the role of terrestrial gravity in human behaviour

Abstract

The early orbital flights, although undertaken with considerable confidence, involved some uncertainty because of the impossibility of simulating under terrestrial conditions all of the conditions encountered in space. However, space-flight achievements by both the American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts have firmly established that man, if appropriately selected, trained, and protected by suitable life-support systems, can perform efficiently for long periods of time in the hostile environment of space. We know that the side effects of vestibular origin pose important problems in space exploration, and the neurophysiological effects of any extensive, rapid adaptation processes in subgravity states have enabled a better understanding of man's compensatory capabilities. With the successful establishment of orbiting research laboratories, an unparalleled opportunity exists that will undoubtedly enable better understanding of the role played by gravity in normal terrestrial activity, not only as it affects our vestibular physiology, but also as it may or may not concern other systems and at different organizational levels in the body.