NASA’s 20-G Centrifuge Aims to Counter Health Problems

NASA is currently deep in research on methods of how to better prepare astronauts against the health risks of moving in and out of Earth’s athmosphere. It has been earlier noted that drastic transition towards space with less or more graviational pull can have adverse effects to a human body. Not only that, those that have been in space for a considerable amount of time, and thus have adjusted to its gravity, may experience the same problem when they came back to Earth.

That’s why modern-day astronauts undergo special training to prepare their bodies against this condition. But apparently, NASA scientists are not satisfied with the current methods; that’s why they are trying to learn more on what exactly the drastic gravity shifts can do to our body; what specific system, tissue, and if possible, cells they damage. What’s their tool for research? The 20-G centrifuge machine – a device that creates artificial gravity forces thru continous rotation that can later multiply the gravitational pull up to 20 times compared to Earth’s.

More about the 20-G centrifuge and how it can help reverse aging after the jump.

NASA is currently deep in research on methods of how to better prepare astronauts against the health risks of moving in and out of Earth’s athmosphere. It has been earlier noted that drastic transition towards space with less or more graviational pull can have adverse effects to a human body. Not only that, those that have been in space for a considerable amount of time, and thus have adjusted to its gravity, may experience the same problem when they came back to Earth.

That’s why modern-day astronauts undergo special training to prepare their bodies against this condition. But apparently, NASA scientists are not satisfied with the current methods; that’s why they are trying to learn more on what exactly the drastic gravity shifts can do to our body; what specific system, tissue, and if possible, cells they damage. What’s their tool for research? The 20-G centrifuge machine – a device that creates artificial gravity forces thru continous rotation that can later multiply the gravitational pull up to 20 times compared to Earth’s.

Since April, they have been conducting a pilot study at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., using the 20-G centrifuge. “The 20-G Centrifuge is our largest facility certified for use by humans,” says Jeff Smith, a manager in the Life Sciences Division at Ames, adding that “Its capabilities make it a unique NASA resource and a very versatile research tool that is ideal for developing health-maintenance activities for astronauts.”

This experiment can help determine what the long-term effects the prolonged exposure to low gravity of space or other planets has on physical health of the space sailors. This could then enable them to better devise training programs for future astronauts to effectively counter the changes that occur during space travel. “Researchers and collaborating investigators continue to produce a wealth of knowledge concerning astronaut and civilian health issues,” says NASA astronaut-scientist liaison and project study scientist, Dr. Yvonne Cagle.

Not only will this study benefit NASA employees, according to them it may aid ordinary citizens as well. Ames’ exercise physiologist and study scientist Fritz Moore explains that “the changes astronauts experience are very similar to those seen in people who are less active or frequently confined to bed rest, such as individuals in our rapidly growing senior population. It is very likely that space medicine and geriatric medicine will interact and help us understand the best ways to arrive home from space, as well as the best ways to grow old.” Well, has the road to the fountain of youth been found? Can the revolving 20-G centrifuge machine bring us closer to that goal ironically, without even leaving its place? The answer to those questions may soon be at hand.