As a new year begins, many people think about making positive changes in their lives, such as improving their physical fitness or learning a specific skill. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station work year-round to maintain high levels of performance while adapting to changes in physical fitness, cognitive abilities, sensory perceptions and other functions during spaceflight.

Research on the space station looks at how these qualities change in space, how those changes affect daily performance, and strategies to keep astronauts at their peak performance.

A current Canadian Space Agency (CSA) survey called "Health in Space" assesses the impact of spaceflight on cardiovascular disorders. The survey used biomonitors, which are wearable sensors that collect data such as pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, skin temperature and physical activity levels. The results could support the development of an autonomous system to monitor cardiovascular health on future space missions. Similar technology could be used to monitor the heart health of people on Earth.

During spaceflight, astronauts lose muscle mass and stiffness, a sign of strength. Astronauts exercise daily to counteract these effects, but due to a lack of technology suitable for use in space, monitoring the effects of exercise is limited to before and after flight. ESA's (European Space Agency) Myotones survey shows that a small, non-invasive device can accurately measure muscle stiffness and shows that current countermeasures appear to be effective for most muscle groups. Accurate flight assessments could help scientists target certain muscles to optimize the effectiveness of exercise programs on future missions. The measuring device could also benefit patients in certain parts of the planet without the need for other means of monitoring.

Research suggests that the effects of spaceflight on cognitive abilities may be due to the effects of stressors such as radiation and disrupted sleep. Longer missions increase exposure to these hazards, potentially altering their impact on individuals.

Manual Control used a series of tests to examine how spaceflight affects cognitive, sensory and motor function after landing. On the day they returned from spaceflight, astronauts showed severe impairments in fine motor control and multitasking abilities during simulated flight and driving challenges. Researchers attribute this to subtle physiological changes during spaceflight. Performance recovered once individuals accepted a mission, suggesting that it may be beneficial to have crew members perform simulated missions prior to the actual mission. This work helps scientists ensure that astronauts can safely land on the moon and Mars and conduct early operations.

Standard measures collect a range of physical and psychological measurements relevant to human spaceflight risks, including a battery of cognitive tests, from astronauts before, during and after their missions. Using this data, the researchers found that during the six-month mission, the astronauts showed generally stable cognitive performance, but with slight changes in some areas, including processing speed, working memory, attention and willingness to take risks. This finding provides baseline data that can help identify cognitive changes in future tasks and support the development of appropriate countermeasures. The study includes the largest sample of professional astronauts published to date.

Another function that spaceflight may affect is sensory perception, such as the ability to interpret movement, direction, and distance. For example, we use our visual perception of the height and width of objects around us to complete tasks such as reaching for an object and deciding whether we can fit through an opening. A CSA investigation, VECTION, found that microgravity has no immediate effect on the ability to sense the height of an object, suggesting that astronauts can safely perform missions that rely on this judgment soon after arriving in space. The researchers concluded that no countermeasures were needed, but did recommend that space travelers be aware of late and potentially long-lasting changes in the ability to sense object heights.

Melissa Gaskill

International Space Station Research Communications Team

johnson space center