Tue, Aug 18, 2009
Designed To Meet Nutritional Needs During Long-Duration Space
Flight
A senior NASA medical officer has
confirmed that two nutritional supplement formulas, developed
during nearly four years of joint research by Houston-based
AmeriSciences and NASA / Johnson Space Center (JSC), were
used and tested in space by the astronauts of STS-125 and STS-127.
They are now in use and undergoing testing aboard the International
Space Station.
This marks a milestone in the advancement of a project between
AmeriSciences and NASA/JSC to develop nutritional supplements for
the astronauts to meet the needs of long-duration spaceflight as
well as conditioning here on Earth. Commenced through a Space Act
Agreement between AmeriSciences and NASA/JSC back in the fall of
2005, this joint research effort has now progressed to in-flight
testing as well as clinical ground studies to determine safety and
effectiveness of the resulting formulations.
"NASA/JSC has always had to push forward with new technologies
to meet the extreme conditions of outer space ... nutritional
supplementation is another one of those areas of technology in
which NASA can make a significant contribution to society as a
whole while promoting the health of the participants in their space
program," comments Lou Gallardo, Chairman of AmeriSciences. "We are
proud to be working closely with NASA/JSC on this project and
combining all of our expertise to create the best products possible
for the astronauts."
The years of preparation and research by experts from both
AmeriSciences and NASA has led to the use and testing of
antioxidant and multivitamin formulations aboard the Space Shuttle
and International Space Station. The commencement of use and
testing of these formulas on Space Shuttle mission STS-125 was
important to said research as this mission to repair the Hubble
Space Telescope (below) presented extra physiological
challenges. Prolonged EVAs and the high-orbit location of the
telescope exposed the astronauts to an increased risk of higher
levels of radiation and other medical concerns.
"This is just the first step towards preparing for the rigors of
long-duration space flight on the human body," explains Gallardo,
"the good news is that the results from this research can impact
everyone's health here on Earth."
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