Memorandum 17
Submission from Dr Philip J Scarpa, Manager,
Medical Operations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Kennedy Space Center
Please note that the views expressed are mine
and not necessarily those of NASA or the United States Government.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This letter informs the Science and Technology
Committee of the efforts in UK Space Medicine by Drs Fong and
Calder; informs on the growing interest in Space Medicine training
and a new national conference; provides an example of a space
medicine related research collaboration; and highlights the formation
and efforts of the new UK Space Medicine Association. There are
clear benefits in the support of space medicine research and manned
space flight toward the UK science and technology base, medical
care, and encouragement of youth.
1. I commend the review of the Science and
Technology Committee concerning Space activities and wish to inform
the Committee about the importance of Space Medicine and Space
Medicine activities within the United Kingdom. Space Medicine
is the field of medicine involved in the study and treatment of
the changes to astronauts in space flight and other space related
health risks. Space Medicine topics include astronaut bone loss,
muscle loss, radiation exposure, heart and blood vessel deconditioning,
anemia, decreased immune system, kidney stones, mental health,
toxic exposures, decompression sickness, occupational injuries,
and trauma. Many of these changes have direct application to terrestrial
diseases and conditions such as osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy,
cancer, heart disease, blood dyscrasias, AIDS, chronic fatigue
syndrome, emergency and trauma care. The NASA-Kennedy Space Center
in Florida, United States, conducts Space Medicine education programs
on site at the Kennedy Space Center. The training includes lectures,
tours, and participation in medical operations involving launching
and landing of the space shuttle and its astronauts. A similar
program exists in Houston, Texas. There has been an increasing
interest in the last decade by British student physicians to attend
these NASA training programs. There are many more applicants than
positions available, and the talent, seriousness and dedication
of the UK applicants make it more difficult every year to choose
among them. Having completed their NASA training, many return
to Britain and have actively continued to try to develop space
medicine within the UK One particular graduate, Dr Kevin Fong,
has been instrumental in a continued professional pursuit of this
field. He has been provided the opportunity by the interest of
many of his countrymen to speak in several media concerning the
importance of space medicine and manned space flight. With every
year the interest seems to grow within the UK The interest is
not frivolous, but seriously placed in the knowledge of well-founded
technological and medical benefits and in the encouragement of
the youth and its hope for the future. With this growing interest,
Dr. Fong has formed the Centre for Aviation, Space, and Extreme
Environment Medicine (CASE) based at the University College-London
to provide training in space medicine, the first ever in the UK
NASA now recognizes CASE as the leading center of authority for
space medicine in the UK and as such allows CASE to conduct a
national competition to select the applicants to the NASA program.
The quality of young physicians applying and being selected to
attend our program are of the highest caliber and graduates continue
to return to the UK to become leaders in the aerospace medical
field. Another NASA training graduate, Dr. Alyson Calder, an Anesthesiologist
at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, has organized the first ever space
medicine conference in the UK Now in its third year, the conference
provides an annual national focus for space medicine research
and education and a forum for the exchange of ideas on space medicine
within the UK This year the level of quality of the conference
has attracted the interest of researchers from outside the UK
to share their research. Presentations ranged from university-based
research, to high technology, to business endeavors and potential
space age medical therapeutics. The UK-based Virgin Galactic,
a branch of Virgin Atlantic, presented medical issues and plan
toward their pursuit of becoming the first commercial space flight
enterprise in the history of the world. Their long-term business
plan includes not only space tourism but a more profitable and
marketable regular passenger service using spaceplanes to points
around the world traversed in a fraction of today's time durations.
2. I have worked with Dr Fong and several
of his UK colleagues in the development of a Portable Intravenous
Fluid Production Device. Intravenous fluids are precious liquids
that are delivered into the veins of a needing patient. Such fluids
may be required in lifesaving medical care. The capability to
have this from a portable device is an important technology for
successful spaceflights in the near future. This technology also
has tremendous potential application for the military and for
medical relief efforts around the world. In essence, this technology
would be useful in areas where clean water or sterile water necessary
for injection were not readily available or cost prohibitive.
This is an example of the kind of space-based research and technology
collaboration that can occur between the UK and other countries
and is worth UK governmental support.
3. Over the last decade, as Director of
the Medical Education Program at the NASA-Kennedy Space Center,
I am happy to say that several UK physicians early in their careers
heeded my advice and rather than trying to obtain a position in
the US returned home to the UK to provide their talents and skills
to their own country and to encourage their countrymen to realize
the benefits of space medicine research and human space flight.
Recently, many of these individuals have coordinated their efforts
and formed a group entitled The UK Space Medicine Association,
the first ever in the UK. Although the new UK Space Medicine Association
is under funded, many efforts now are being unified, space medicine
research coordinated, and space medicine education/guidance and
expertise within the UK provided. This new Association has the
endorsement of the Aerospace Medical Association, the premier
international association for aerospace medicine in the world.
With this the UK is now "on the map" so-to-speak for
international recognition and exchanges in science and technology.
4. As an employee of NASA, as a Fellow of
the Aerospace Medical Association, and as a former President of
the US-based Space Medicine Association, it is my personal opinion
that it seems very inappropriate for a country of great stature
and leadership in the world such as the United Kingdom to not
participate in human space flight nor in space medicine research.
The world is building an International Space Station, then soon
to return to the Moon, and then on to Mars. The UK should be a
part of that human destiny.
October 2006
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