Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Nuclear Energy News .




STATION NEWS
Andre wraps up six months of work on ISS
by Staff Writers
Paris (ESA) Jun 28, 2012


ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers.

ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers is scheduled to leave the International Space Station and land on 1 July. Andre is finishing experiments and packing his bags ready for departure. One of the last experiments is looking at how a human body stays warm. We take it for granted that our bodies stay at around 37C. Go jogging, spend time in a sauna, forget your coat on a cold day and your body will adapt and regulate its temperature.

Blood vessels expand or contract and we sweat to keep heat or let excess warmth evaporate. On Earth, our bodies rely on convection to cool down: as liquids and gases heat up they become less dense and rise, moving heat away from our skin.

There is no convection in weightlessness so it is surprising that astronauts' bodies adapt and do not overheat in space.

The Thermolab project is looking at an astronaut's temperature during long missions to help understand how our bodies adapt to weightlessness.

As temperature control is particularly important during exercise, scientists on Earth are observing Andre and his colleagues at rest and during exercise.

The experiment is run in conjunction with NASA research on maximum oxygen intake as astronauts on the Station use an exercise bicycle.

Using traditional thermometers in space is time-consuming and impractical. Instead, Andre has two sensors on his forehead and chest that measure his temperature continuously.

The sensor was first used by ESA astronaut Frank De Winne in 2009 and then extensively during the Mars500 mission to measure how body temperature depends on the night and day cycle.

Hospitals are showing an interest in the Thermolab equipment. Being able to monitor body temperature can provide an early warning to a change in a patient's condition. As the system is non-invasive, it is more hygienic and easier to use.

Andre and his two crewmates will land at 08:15 GMT (10:15 CEST) on Sunday 1 July. Watch the landing via ESA and read his blog as he enters the last weeks of his PromISSe mission.

.


Related Links
Odissea at ESA
ISS Science at ESA
Station at NASA
Station and More at Roscosmos
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








STATION NEWS
Astrium awarded two ATV evolution studies from ESA
Paris (ESA) Jun 27, 2012
Astrium has been awarded two studies by the European Space Agency (ESA) to define how to evolve technologies used on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and the Columbus space laboratory for future space vehicles. The envisaged value of both studies is 13 million euros (6.5 million euros per study). ESA meets its obligation to contribute to the common system operating costs (CSOC) of the Intern ... read more


STATION NEWS
Prairie cordgrass: Highly underrated

New loo turns poo into power

Malaysia's Felda Global up almost 20% on debut

Biological switch paves way for improved biofuel production

STATION NEWS
Makakilo Baptist Church Adopts Solar Power

Transfer Lab-Developed Clean Energy Technologies to Market

Kohl's Department Stores Powers Up Solar Initiative with 30 New Locations in 2012

UK's first zero energy cost business park

STATION NEWS
Toward super-size wind turbines: Bigger wind turbines do make greener electricity

Study: Bigger wind turbines are greener

US wind industry gains major new supporters for Production Tax Credit campaign

Scotland issues rare wind farm denial

STATION NEWS
Hottest man-made temperature achieved

Opower and UK's First Utility Unveil my:energy Program

Sirens ring out in S. Korean power shortage drill

Gmail vs. Yahoo Mail users: Who spends more on electricity?

STATION NEWS
Stanford scientists spark new interest in the century-old Edison battery

Bringing down the cost of fuel cells

China's Yancoal floats on Australian exchange

India grapples with coal shortages

STATION NEWS
New Way of Probing Exoplanet Atmospheres

Forgotten Star Cluster Useful For Solar Science And Search for Earth Like Planets

SciTechTalk: Quick, name the planets!

Where Are The Metal Worlds And Is The Answer Blowing In The Wind

STATION NEWS
Indian Navy tests out new trump card

Malaysia minister denies French sub graft claims

Thales wins Aussie sub simulator upgrade

Britain to spend $1.7B on sub projects

STATION NEWS
Curiosity Rover on Track for Early August Landing

Opportunity Drives a Little

NASA tweaks flight path of Mars mission

Extensive Water in Mars Interior




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement