Canada, Science and Space in the year 2020

The day was Thursday May 30, 2020 and two American patriots were launched into the depths of space. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were the two fortunate NASA astronauts to be selected for the mission. The two Veterans – Col. Bob Behnken of the Air Force and Col. Doug Hurley of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) – had been training for this mission in cooperation with SpaceX for some time now. It marked the first time that a commercial enterprise successfully launched astronauts into orbit; It was also the first time since 2011 that an American rocket carrying people was launched from American soil. The historical feat accomplished in conjuncture with NASA and SpaceX is just one of the ground-breaking projects that has happened at the International Space Station (ISS) this year. Canada is another country making headlines in the space community; conducting advanced research both on the ISS and here on earth. On April 14, 2020 the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced funding for eight new scientific research studies with the total funding for the project amounting over $1 million (Boucher, 2020, para. 3). The purpose of these studies is to minimize the health implications for astronauts on space flight missions and to further understand various aspects of health science. The CSA has divided the eight research studies into three groups. These groups are determined based on the research approach that the scientists are taking to execute the investigations. The three research approaches include: 1; research and analysis using databases or existing samples from previous space studies, 2; experimentation using biological organisms such as animals or cells as models for human biology, and 3; simulating conditions in space to test human subjects (Canadian Space Agency [CSA], 2020, para 6).

There are two scientific research studies being conducted using the first research method; Dr. Frederic Pitre from the University of Montreal is analyzing the mars500 mission crew microbiomes using improved metagenomic testing technology. Dr. Pitre will be using existing samples from the Mars500 project, which was a psychosocial experiment whose participants were six astronauts from the ESA (European Space Agency), Russia, and China from 2007 to 2011 (CSA, 2006, para 5). The purpose of the Mars500 experiment was to see how a crew of astronauts physically and mentally handled themselves in isolation for 520 days.

The aim of the experiment was to give insight on how individuals and groups of humans would physically and mentally react to the extensive and isolating travel time required for expansive space travel, – this is a reality in travelling to mars. What Dr. Pitre will be doing is taking microbiome samples from the astronauts that participated in the Mars500 experiment and use improved metagenomics tests to search for and analyze any abnormalities in their microbiomes. This is significant research as microbiomes are the genetic materials that make up all microbes, like bacteria, fungus, etc. Humans are dependant on certain bacteria for digestion, production of certain vitamins, to assist in regulating our immune system and much more (European Space Agency, 2011, para 7). Therefore, using improved metagenomics - (the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples) – to analyse their microbiomes will help space agencies decide meal planning and nutrition for long distance space travel so that the healthy bacteria needed in the human body can be sustained and remain functional. The second scientific research study being conducted using the first method will be carried out by Dr. Richard Hughson from the university of Waterloo. Dr. Hughson will be taking existing samples from past CSA cardiovascular studies for the purpose of examining new hypotheses about astronauts’ cardiovascular system (The Kavli Foundation, 2016, para 1). The two previous studies that the data will be taken from are the Blood Pressure Regulation (PB Reg) study and the vascular series. Chris Hadfield – a legendary Canadian astronaut - was one of the participants for BP Reg and the purpose was to analyze and examine the cardiovascular system of an astronaut after they have returned from space. More specifically, investigating the difference in blood pressure once an astronaut has returned from spaceflight missions; astronauts are prone to fainting and have dizziness as their organ systems reacclimate to earth’s gravity (CSA, 2017, para 10). Investigating and understanding cardiovascular health is imperative to the well-being of astronauts travelling on spaceflight missions; during a six-month mission, an astronaut’s cardiovascular system can age by an equivalent of ten to twenty years and arteries can stiffen by 17% - 30% and unfortunately the exercise regiment the astronauts were performing were not enough to counteract the aging process (CSA, 2017, para 8). The man who discovered these aging affects and their impact to the cardiovascular system was Dr. Richard Hughson, making him an ideal research scientist for this study. Dr. Hughson will examine ultrasounds of astronauts’ blood vessels from the previous studies to determine how well the cardiovascular system of astronauts were performing. The findings from a study like this are crucial as they can also assist health scientists better understand general cardiovascular function, assisting public health practitioners treating patients with cardiovascular disease, finding exercise regimes that better counteract the aging effect on the cardiovascular system. Another newly funded research project studies space-like conditions to test human subjects and explore a possible way to counteract the aging process.

Dr. Andrew Philip Blaber from Simon Fraser University is testing the use of artificial gravity as a countermeasure against the impact that micro gravity has on both the cardiovascular system and

cerebral responses (CSA, 2020, para 8). If one were able to create artificial gravity on the ISS, astronauts could spend time in ‘gravity’ each day to help balance out the time that the body is in microgravity. However, that is only if this is found to be effective and Dr. Blaber plans to find out.

The potential issue would be determining if the body will be capable of adapting to constant change in gravitational environments. Another question the study asks are about the logistics of how to create an artificial gravity chamber on the ISS and how logistically possible it is. There is a potential that consistently changing the gravitational environment in which the astronauts find themselves in could be more damaging than beneficial – but there is only one way to find out. That is why simulating space like conditions is an important research method approach. It allows scientists to do experiments on earth and then implement them when the astronauts actually go to space. However, this particular study is unique because they want to test artificial gravity not microgravity or zero gravity. Nonetheless, the findings from this scientific research study could revolutionize how astronauts counteract the affects that microgravity has on their cardiovascular system and could allow for longer space missions. Dr. Laurence Harris from York University is using varying levels of gravity on human subjects on earth and observing and studying changes to their perception systems (CSA, 2020, para 8). The vestibular system is a sensory system which provides our brain with information about motion and spacial orientation, it also contributes to the sense of balance (Cullen & Sadeghi, 2008, para 1).

This is a reason as to why astronauts who return to space feel dizzy and experience balance issues for sometimes months after returning to earth. A research study topic such as this one is important to investigate because if astronauts are having difficulties with their vestibular system in space, it could potentially inhibit their ability to do their job while on the ISS. Astronauts while in microgravity are unable to feel the sensation of lying down or knowing which direction they are facing because there is no gravitational force for the vestibular system to sense and therefore, they cannot orient themselves like they would on earth. Extensive training is the only real way to ensure that the astronauts do not get overwhelmed while in space. Investigating this on humans on earth could give better insight into how the vestibular system reacts to varying levels of gravity in space and can help shape training programs for astronauts.

Finally, using biological organisms such as animals or cells as models for human biology is an important way to conduct research. It gives scientists an opportunity to investigate various hypotheses in test practice, that relate to humans, to decide whether or not it is safe for human practice. Bone loss is a problem facing all astronauts when they are up in space for long periods of time. Astronauts can experience approximately 1% - 2% of bone density lost per six months while in space (CSA, 2006, para 1). This is due to lack of gravitational force on the skeletal system, removing the force that was once constantly on the skeleton, the body sheds the unnecessary weight. Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal from Mount Saint Vincent University is attempting to understand bone loss with zebrafish larvae in a simulated microgravity environment. The reason why zebrafish are used in research studies like this is because, “84 per cent of genes known to be associated with human disease have a zebrafish counterpart. As a vertebrate, the zebrafish has the same major organs and tissues as humans” (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2015, para 5). Zebrafish have been sent to the ISS on many occasions for reasons such as this. Zebrafish have also been sent to the ISS so that scientists can examine their unique ability to repair heart muscle in microgravity. Experiments like these are certainly intended to help understand human biology on earth. Dr. Franz-Odendaal will be studying the effects that a simulated microgravity environment has on the skeletal system so that we can try to better understand how it affects humans.

Dr. Svetlana V. Komarova from McGill University will be approaching it differently. Dr. Komarova will be studying bone loss in association with skeletal muscle changes and fluid shifts in astronauts while they are in space (CSA, 2020, para 8). During time in space, there is no gravitational force to pull blood down into the lower extremities, therefore, the blood can pool in the head and cause a puffy face and bulging neck veins (NASA, 2007, para 4). These kinds of fluid shifts are what Dr. Komarova will be observing and will investigate if there is a correlation between these shifts in fluid and bone loss. Bone loss studies that take place in microgravity are not simply just to benefit astronauts but also humans on earth. In Canada, one in every four women and one in every eight men over the age of 50 will experience osteoporosis (CSA, 2006, para 5). The hope is that findings from these types of research studies can help to benefit people suffering from osteoporosis on earth. Dr. Odette Laneuville from Ottawa university is studying shoulder overuse and attempting to understand how to prevent injuries in microgravity using mudskipper fish. A study like this is important because astronauts on the ISS are constantly using their shoulders to vault themselves through the station. Shoulder overuse is bound to happen to an astronaut while on the ISS and understanding how to prevent shoulder injuries in microgravity is a great use of money and resources. When astronauts exercise on the ISS it is more important for them to work their lower extremities because for one, they do not use them as much as their upper extremities and two, the shift in blood from the lower body to the upper body has negative effects on muscles and bones. The reason that mudskipper fish will be used in a research study such as this, is because mudskipper fish have the ability to move on land. In fact, they propel themselves on land much in the same way astronauts propel themselves on the ISS. Using microgravity will allow for the mudskipper fish to propel themselves on land as they usually would. However, now scientists can examine what happens to their side pectoral fins when being overused in microgravity in order to help better understand what happens to human shoulder joints being overused in microgravity. The last scientific research study being funded by the CSA in this group is to study space-related vision changes experienced by some astronauts (CSA, 2020, para 8). For obvious reasons, vision is important to astronauts while in space. The vision changes are hypothesized to occur due to the fluid shifts in the body while in microgravity. As discussed earlier, blood tends to pool in the head while in microgravity. This causes inter-cranial pressure which in turn compresses the optic nerve flattening the back of the eyeball and causes swelling of the optic disc (Crew, 2016, para 9). Astronauts can therefore experience farsightedness and cotton wool spots while in space. Dr. Yeni Yucel will use a research model to gain a better understanding of these side effects of microgravity on vision and attempt to find ways to counteract the compression of the optic

nerve and the swelling of the optic disc with the onset of intercranial pressure. If a solution cannot be found, it could have serious negative implications for future plans to travel to mars.

These are the eight new scientific research studies that the CSA has funded this year. Canada’s involvement in space science has been evident and abundant over the past couple of decades and it will continue to be that way. A future experiment that will start later this year will involve monitoring astronauts immune systems throughout a whole ISS mission. However, these feats in Canadian space science could not be possible if it were not for the cooperation with other space agencies around the world. Space travel seems to be one of the few settings where everyone involved is working towards a common good and not individual advancements.