Missions to the moon to build a lunar outpost and later excursions to Mars requiring longer commitments by astronauts are among the trips topping NASA’s forthcoming itinerary.
To be successful, the half-century-old space agency must address one key health problem facing astronauts spending extended periods in weightless conditions—bone loss.
Daniel Martinez, associate professor in the department of health and human performance and the Cullen College’s biomedical engineering program, is among a group of researchers determined to take on this safety concern.
During the next three years, Martinez will work with lead investigator Harry Hogan and co-investigator Susan Bloomfield, both faculty at Texas A&M University, to study measures to counteract bone loss during these missions. All three are named on a roughly $1.1 million grant received in July from NASA’s Human Research Program—nearly $265,000 of the total funding Martinez’s efforts.
“The long-term health consequences for crew members are unclear, so the problem needs to be better understood,” said Martinez. “Our research will address this problem through a series of experiments using the adult male hind limb unloaded rat model.”
Through both treadmill running and resistance training exercises, researchers will assess activities effect on bone mass, bone mineral density and bone quality in rats. Researchers will analyze these aspects in the hope their results will offer a better look at the consequences of extended periods in space and tender solutions to combat this loss.
“Many bone properties, most notably bone strength, are not directly measurable in humans. This is where animal studies provide a crucial role,” Martinez said. “The results will provide direct quantitative and objective evidence for better defining the risk of space travel on long-term crew member health and the factors most critical to monitor when assessing recovery of bone health following single or multiple missions.”