Memorandum 23
Submission from Dr Richard JE Skipworth
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. I am an Edinburgh-based surgeon with
a long-standing interest in space biomedicine.
2. I am also Treasurer of the recently-formed
UK Space Biomedicine Group (UKSBG), a scientific organisation
that embodies the majority of the UK space biomedical community.
3. I have been interested in space exploration
and space medicine for many years. I was one of the first UK nationals
to undertake an elective period of study in aerospace medicine
at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA.
4. In this submission, I would like to reiterate
the points made in the UKSBG group submission namely, that the
UK's lack of support of space science combined with its current
policy of non-participation in human space platforms will leave
us languishing behind our European and international counterparts.
5. I would also like to offer some more
personalised views surrounding microgravity research which are
pertinent to my own work experience and terrestrial research with
terminal cancer patients.
DETAILED SUBMISSION
6. There are several facts surrounding UK
involvement in space exploration and these are as such:
7. That involvement in space programs (human
and otherwise) have undoubted advantages including:
— knowledge collation and transfer;
— scientific inspiration;
— interdisciplinary and international
teamwork;
— abrogation of the current "brain
drain";
— significant beneficial impacts
on terrestrial medicine;
— technological innovations and
spin-offs (eg space blankets, CT scanners, laser and ultrasound
technology to name but a tiny fraction);
8. At present, the UK involvement in space
exploration is represented by only a small contribution to the
European Space Agency's (ESA) Aurora programme.
9. That failure of significant UK involvement
in future space programmes will leave us languishing behind our
European and international counterparts in what is an expanding
and increasingly competitive field.
10. That there is currently no formalised
UK structure within the existing Research Council framework that
permits allocation of funding to space science.
11. That UK involvement in human space science
has been strongly supported by three recent high-profile reports.
These include the:
— The Microgravity Review Panel
(15 January 2003) chaired by Professor Wakeham (http://www.microgravity.ac.uk/recommendations.pdf).
— The Report of the Aurora
Cross-Council Meeting (7 May 2004) (http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~iac/Cross—Council—Report.pdf).
— The Royal Astronomical Society
(RAS) Commission on the Scientific Case for Human Space Exploration
(18 October 2005) chaired by Professor Close, OBE (http://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/ras—pdfs/Final%20Report%20
October%202005.pdf).
12. That some of the areas that are covered
by space science and could enjoy UK involvement include:
Fluid sciences, combustion and plasma physics;
Materials sciences, including crystallisation
processes;
Astrophysics, geophysics and microgravity.
Human physiology and medical research;
Biotechnology and microbiology;
Psychological research related to long-term human
space flight.
— Human and robotic exploration
Solar system, including planetary and asteroid
exploration;
Extra-solar system exploration.
13. That the space environment affects human
physiology in a number of unique ways and research targeted at
further understanding these changes is currently the focus of
space biomedical programmes worldwide, particularly with the new
emphasis on exploration-class missions at the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA).
For example, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute
(NSBRI) in the USA has identified the following twelve research
areas as being of critical importance to human space exploration:
bone loss; cardiovascular alterations; human performance factors,
sleep and chronobiology; immunology, infection and haematology;
muscle alterations and atrophy; neurobehavioural and psychosocial
factors; nutrition, physical fitness, and rehabilitation; radiation
effects; sensorimotor adaptation; smart medical systems; technology
development; and space medicine.
14. That there is a very real and nascent
interest and expertise in space medicine in the form of the UKSBG;
this interest and expertise is not supported by current UK space
policy.
15. That the advent of space tourism demands
that research into space medicine is fully supported by UK policy
to ensure safety of travellers.
16. That UK policy should be altered to
rectify the current shortcomings and establish the UK as an international
leader in space science.
17. That UK involvement in space science
may have advantages to many more disease processes than are usually
quoted. I have an academic interest in muscle wasting in cancer
patients (I am currently enrolled for a Doctorate of Medicine
at the University of Edinburgh), a subject very closely related
to the muscle wasting experienced by humans in microgravity conditions
or long-term bed rest studies (such as those run by ESA). UK involvement
in research focused on this human "model" of muscle
wasting would have significant terrestrial benefits for many vulnerable
patient groups including cancer patients. Also, as an individual
who is interested in space medicine, I am also involved in research
projects examining the effect of posture change on the cardiovascular
system. Studies of this sort have the potential to alter radically
our understanding of human physiology, leading to wide-ranging
ramifications to terrestrial medicine. In short, any of the scientific
literature in space physiology is easily applicable and transferable
to other disease processes.
18. That international involvement in space
programs and space science is heavily endorsed by prominent individuals
both within and outwith the space community. Examples of such
include:
"Space research plays a vital role in European
science" Herbert Diehl of the German Ministry of Education
and Research.
"The International Space Station represents
a unique test bed for a science programme aimed at understanding
a whole range of medical problems" Dr Peter Norsk of the
ESA European Users' Board.
"Space-based Earth Observation has lead
to many important developments, from the detection and understanding
of the ozone hole to major advances in weather forecasting. These
are results that affect European citizens every day in ways that
they are probably not aware of. The Earth's climate is very complex
and we now trying to look at longer term effects and changes,
but as people have already said, international co-operation and
better co-ordination is required." Lennart Bengtsson of the
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.
The following is a text of a message from Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's
flight and the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first United
States space shuttle (UN Headquarters, New York, 11 April 2001):
"The exploration of outer space has already revolutionized
life on our planet in many ways. Observations from outer space
have enhanced our understanding of our common environment, for
example, by providing images of the ozone layer and world climate
conditions. Space technology has led to advances in fields ranging
from the monitoring of natural disasters to the development of
navigational systems. These examples of the benefits of space
technology—some immediately apparent, some much less so—provide
a powerful justification for the peaceful exploration of outer
space... ."
"...Space science and technology have a
great potential for enriching the lives of people around the world.
Today, one can talk to people on the other side of the planet,
thanks to satellite communications. One can get information on
the weather in any part of the world, thanks to Earth observation
satellites. Some of us no longer have to worry about getting lost
on the roads, thanks to satellite navigation..."
"...In a matter of minutes, severe disasters
may destroy all the progress made over years in social and economic
development. But space technologies can significantly mitigate
this damage. Earth observation satellites provide essential data
to give early warnings for extreme weather phenomena. People can
then take timely action to minimize damages. Later, when a natural
disaster hits society and destroys infrastructure, communications
satellites provide means to disseminate and exchange vital information.
This can help contain further damage and loss of human life..."
"...In some parts of the world, people enjoy
instant access to a vast amount of information and easy communications
with their friends on the other side of the world, thanks to the
Internet. At the same time, one half of the world's population
has never made a telephone call. Satellite communications can
help us close this gap, to help the world move forward from `digital
divide' to `digital bridge...'"
"...The use of space technologies will be
part of some of the new initiatives that I announced in my Millennium
Report. Communications satellites will be useful for the Health
InterNetwork, to establish 10,000 on-line health information centres
at hospitals and clinics in the developing world. The `First on
the Ground' disaster response programme will provide mobile and
satellite telephones for humanitarian relief workers to help the
victims after disasters."
19. In summary, and without attempting to
labour the point, it is imperative that the UK increases its current
involvement in European Space Programs in order to benefit both
the UK, by cementing its position as a world leader in the science
of tomorrow, and mankind as a whole, by contributing to the acquisition
of vital, potentially life-saving knowledge and technology.
October 2006
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