Memorandum 40
Submission from Dr Benjamin Marriage
I wish to register my interest and support for
the UK governmental support of a UK-based space-related research
and human space exploration program.
1. Whilst there seems to be encouraging
opportunities for British citizens to be involved in space-related
teaching and research at undergraduate level, at present there
remains a disappointing absence of opportunities to forward and
extend this important skills base at post-graduate level. My personal
experience to date includes:
2. Aerospace Physiology BSc degree; as an
undergraduate degree, this really provides the knowledge base
for interested individuals and always contains a research project.
Our principle investigation was researching the effects of hypoxia
and the efficacy of different oxygen delivery systems at maintaining
alveolar oxygen tensions. The science and data yielded from such
investigations for example could be used to advance British based
technologies to develop novel oxygen delivery systems which would
be of huge financial benefit to the National Health Service. Unfortunately,
no post-graduate opportunities exist to conduct this research,
so we are unable to provide the intelligence for novel medical
technologies and rely on overseas technology. At a scientific
level, a further understanding of hypoxia and its effects, which
not only has implications for human space exploration, is hugely
relevant to such a vast array of medical diseases that we encounter
on a daily basis.
3. European Space Agency (ESA) Student Parabolic
Flight Campaign: the only opportunities for UK based students
are the outreach programs run by ESA. Our team investigated the
effectiveness of a new technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) in microgravity. This is such a fundamental skill within
the medical field and an important consideration for the safety
of human space exploration.
4. ESA Student Space Medicine Conference:
I was involved with two research ideas to develop countermeasures
for microgravity-induced disuse osteoporosis and muscle atrophy
which had spin-off implications for Earth-based populations. This
is a huge area that can be mutually beneficial for advancing understanding
of human spaceflight and with practical science advantages which
are applicable immediately here on Earth eg preventing hip fractures
or bone/muscle wasting in neurological disease.
5. UK Space Medicine Association Conference:
These conferences have dramatically grown in popularity over the
last few years and it is remarkable how much interest and how
many health care professionals and researchers with an interest
in space medicine there are despite the lack of opportunities
available. There is a pre-existing UK skills base which is ever
increasing.
6. In summary, the UK has already built
a rapidly growing skills base of health professionals and researchers
with an interest in space medicine from the pre-existing under-graduate
opportunities but in the current climate we are not utilizing
this resource to its full advantage because of the lack of opportunities
in the UK. The vast benefits of human space exploration in terms
of fundamental scientific return to the UK would be large and
a UK-led human space flight and synchronous space research program
would get my full support.
October 2006
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