Facing the challenges of staying healthy in space, Western University in London, On. is hosting a three-day symposium designed to help do just that. As NASA prepares for a return to the Moon and talks continue about going to Mars, one of the focuses is on maintaining the physical and mental health of astronauts on longer missions.
Sarah Gallagher is a professor in Western’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. She is also co-chair of this year's Canadian Space Health Research Symposium taking place on the Western campus, "You need to bring together experts from all different fields - from engineering or medicine and molecular biology and psychology - in order to think about what you need to do and how you can keep people healthy and live in a very low resource, extremely isolated, confined environment." Researchers have come from across Canada and around the world to share ideas designed to improve the health and safety of astronauts.
Researchers looking at health issues in space gather at Western University (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) While most people in Canada have relatively easy access to health care, distance can be a complicating factor - it's the same in space. The International Space Station (ISS) is only about 400km above sea level. Gallagher said illness on the ISS is less of a challenge than illness on the longer journeys being considered, "It's really hard to keep people healthy and alive in space.
And those challenges just get even greater as you go farther .
