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The space is cool. Most participants at Captain Scott Tingle's lecture Monday at the University of Virginia already knew this, but Tingle tried to help medical students understand that space research was more accessible and more necessary than ever.
Tingle, a former Navy test pilot who spent six months in space in 2017 and 2018, was an engineer on board the International Space Station, conducting experiments and overseeing operations. Tingle was invited to the class by Lukas Tamm, Professor of Molecular Physiology at the School of Medicine and Tingle's former classmate in the Executive Program of the AVC's Darden School of Business. Tingle talked about the physical and mental space needed and the potential for expansion of research and experts in the field.
"We know how to fly in space and we know how to get out of it better than ever," he said. "And the amount of research we're getting from live animal research is incredible."
Tingle said he wanted to become an astronaut since the age of 3 and that he had chosen his career and studies in order to enroll in the space program. On the fifth attempt, he was selected as an astronaut in 2009.
"But on December 17, 2017, when the boosters went on, it was then that I knew I was going into space."
Tingle, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai had to devote hours of scientific testing to spacecraft maintenance days, physical training and educational events. In total, hundreds of experiments have been conducted, including materials testing, capillary flow experiments, combustion research, a study of the effect of microgravity on bone marrow, and growth research. plants in space.
Tingle described the team's metabolic monitoring experiment, which consisted of moving a bioluminescent cell test tube into a medium-sized test tube, shaking it, and analyzing the bioluminescence when it did. s & # 39; activated. It is easier to see how fluids interact and associate in low gravity. Other research on polymers and bacterial infections has examined how systems behave differently in microgravity, which has led to the discovery of revolutionary new treatments on Earth.
Tingle was itself an experiment while NASA continued to follow the evolution of space on the human body. A former fighter pilot, he was not disturbed by the liquid flowing in his head and disturbing his inner ear. He was not worried about how the low gravity reinforced his spine and eased the pressure on his back.
"When I got up there, my back never felt better," he laughed. "But there are other considerations – the optic nerve of your eye swells and can affect vision, and it does not improve upon your return."
Tingle said the researchers were getting closer to the cause of the swelling and thought it could be improved by nutrition.
"You spoke of certain medical considerations; I was wondering if you could also talk about psychological considerations of space? Asked a student in the conference room.
"It's a difficult question because we have a wide variety of backgrounds," said Tingle. "Some of us were used to extreme environments; for me, everything was normal.
In summary, he said, his goal while he's re-entering normal life on Earth is to inspire others to "get a good education, find a job that you love and to follow your heart.
As NASA invests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Tingle also said that the commercialization of spaceflight and the value of sending a long-term mission to Mars would require researchers and experienced astronauts.
"The space program of the future will encompass all disciplines. We will need humanities, art, music. Realistically, just set the goal and go there. "
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