Memorandum 11
Submission from Dr Simon N Evetts
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
2. Britain has been considered one of the
great nations with regards to space medicine since the early days
of air travel. Our lack of participation in human space travel
has meant that we are not a world leader in the associated field
of space medicine and indeed we are lagging behind most of the
developed nations in this regard. The lack of national support
for space medicine research and human space flight is such that
the scientific, medical and financial gains that result from these
activities are not accrued by Britain. Furthermore, without British
people working in space and the possibility for British school
children being able to do the same, a hugely potent means of inspiring
the young to learn about science is absent.
3. Without active participation in space
medicine research and human space flight activities, Britain will
not only continue to fall behind its peers but will almost certainly
finds itself economically disadvantaged when the burgeoning private
space sector in conjunction with national space programmes lead
to a significant and vibrant global space industry in the near
future. This letter offers personal insight and experiences to
support these contentions.
4. COMMENTARY
5. A field in which early British physicians
and physiologists proved ahead of their time and in which Britain
has ranked amongst the elite nations for some decades is that
of aviation medicine. Aviation medicine is an integral element
of the aviation industry without which the enormous potential
of this industry could not have been realised. The natural progression
for aviation medicine is to become the science of aerospace medicine
in this embryonic age of space travel. Over the forthcoming half
century, space travel will be as important and as integral to
world affairs and economy as air travel has proven to be over
the last 50 years. As the commercial space industry becomes established,
which with Virgin Galactic proposing to place 1000s of tourists
in space over the next decade, it is starting to do, the scientific,
economic, medical and educational interests of all developed nations
will be strongly influenced by the degree of integration a given
nation has with the international space industry.
6. Although there are numerous Britons working
in the field of human space flight in the States and Europe, because
of the lack of governmental support here in the UK, there are
very few who are actively engaged in associated research living
and working in Britain itself. I am one of these few. The activities
researchers like myself are involved in are often self-funded
or funded through indirect means, normally only to the extent
in which a minimal contribution to the fields in question is possible.
Our country has already fallen behind the majority of developed
nations with regards to space life science and the terrestrial
spin-offs that result from such work. Without direct action now
Britain will find itself at a disadvantage with regards to all
industries that will be economically tied to the burgeoning commercial
space industry in the future and with respect to advances in medicine,
education, life science research in general and associated commercial
activities.
7. It is all very well stating that the
above argument is the case but actual hard facts are required
to support the notion. I am a co-Principal Investigator of a joint
Brazilian/British space life science research team. Amongst a
number of research programmes we are pursuing, is one in which
a device for taking blood in microgravity has been developed and
is being validated. We have recently proven that the device and
its associated procedures work in microgravity during ESA parabolic
flights. Although it was conceived primarily for use in space
it has become very evident over the last few years that the terrestrial
applications far outweigh those of the space. The device, if it
passes full clinical validation, will, under many circumstances,
offer a quick, easy and cheap substitute for the commonly used
arterial puncture and venous sampling methods of blood sampling.
We expect that hospitals, medical centres and research establishments
around the world will be interested in this device. Our research
over the last 5 years has been almost entirely self-funded. The
grant applications that have been submitted have all been turned
down due to the nature of the work (in the UK the field of human
space flight research falls into the void between national funding
bodies). There is huge commercial potential in our work, but because
of the virtual absence of support in Britain we are currently
in negotiations with an American company concerning the continuation
of the work through clinical trials and the subsequent commercial
exploitation of this initiative. The prestige, indirect spin-offs,
financial gain and more than likely the future development of
the research programme will fall in to the lap of that nation
which is so astute at encouraging, nurturing and profiting from
new ventures, America.
8. There are other issues, however, equally
as important as the direct financial argument, foremost amongst
these is the ability of "space" to inspire the young
to study science. As a space life scientist I have spoken at schools,
and have consequently learned that space is one of the top two
or three most attractive subjects to children. We have 100s (maybe
1000s?) of people involved in space engineering, electronics and
other hard sciences and many in the soft sciences, but what inspires
children is whether they can actually go into space themselves,
not what space jobs they could do on the ground. The key issue
is that there must be the possibility (even if it is remote) for
a Briton to float about in the "great weightless playground"
for the children to be really inspired. It's not the job I do
that gets the kids' attention, it's the pictures and video footage
of me bobbing about weightless that grabs them.
9. With regard to this one issue (inspiring
kids), whether Britain follows a government-funded astronaut programme
or a private sector "tourist" programme, the crucial
point is to have UK professionals who actually visit or work in
space, however they get up there. It is these jobs that will lead
to an increase in science interest and motivate older children
to go to university to get the necessary qualifications to be
an "astronaut" (whether it be astro-physician, astro-engineer,
astro-psychologist, atro-pilot or whatever). The increase in science
activities and all its associated spin-offs and the positive effect
on UK industry will benefit everyone.
10. Britain is considered a Lion amongst
antelope in the field of aviation medicine, but we are doomed
to be nothing more than a Sloth in the bushes if our government
does not embark upon a course of active participation in the field
of human space flight. We must be involved now; we must make up
for lost time and we must support the growing private space sector
with sound, empirical science. If we do not we might as well drop
the "Great" from Great Britain today, for this second
Space Age will be dominated by those that embrace the challenges
and actually participate!
October 2006
|
