Subjective vertical before and after space flight

Three scientist astronauts on the D1 spacelab mission participated in a series of orientation experiments before and after exposure to orbital weightlessness. Each subject was tilted about a roll axis at 15 deg intervals up to +/-90 deg. At each angle the subject set a luminous line to what he perceived to be the vertical. The results of these tests are presented.     

The European vestibular experiments in Spacelab-1.

A series of experiments were performed in the Spacelab-1 mission on November/December, 1983, pre-, in-, and postflight. These experiments covered various aspects of the functions of the vestibular system, the inflight tests comprising threshold measurements for linear movements in three orthogonal axes, optokinetic stimulation, vestibulo-ocular reflexes under linear and angular accelerations, caloric stimulation with and without linear accelerations; pre- and postflight tests repeated the inflight protocol with the addition of subjective vertical and eye counter-rotation measurements using a tilt table. One of the most surprising and significant results was the caloric test: strong caloric nystagmus on the two subjects tested was recorded inflight; this was contrary to what was expected from Barany's convection hypothesis for caloric nystagmus.     

卫星舱内两类剂量计测量结果的比较

本文利用1994年和1996年两次返回式卫星的搭载条件对舱内辐射剂量进行了对比测量．通过对比测量,研究不同掺杂、不同厚度LiF剂量计测量空间辐射剂量的特点;研究GM计数管计数和LiF剂量间的转换系数以及转换系数随屏蔽状况的变化;由剂量和GM计数研究粒子平均碰撞阻止本领的估计方法．结果表明,不同掺杂、不同厚度的LiF剂量计测量结果间无显著差异,而转换系数几乎不受舱内位置和屏蔽状态的影响．不同厚度LiF剂量计,不同屏蔽状态的GM计数管计数和剂量—计数转换系数的比较研究以及对粒子平均碰撞阻止本领的估计表明,舱内辐射剂量起决定作用的是高能粒子成分,其平均碰撞阻止本领估计约为5MeV／cm．     

Bone mineral measurement: Skylab experiment M-078

The observation that bone mineral is lost in patients who are either immobilized or remain in bed for extended periods of time formed the basis for the concern that large amounts of bone mineral may be lost during long periods of weightlessness. This concern was magnified when early X-ray densitometry studies suggested that rather large amounts of mineral could be lost during rather short periods of weightlessness (4-14 days). Even though these Gemini results have recently been modified, they still reflect substantial losses in the upper extremity. This led to a series of prolonged bed-rest studies (30-36 weeks) which, in addition to careful calcium balance, also employed a newer, more precise method of estimating bone mineral in the radius, ulna, and os calcis. It employed an essentially monoenergetic photon source (125I) and a scintillation detector operating in a rectilinear scanning mode to measure bone mineral by the absorptiometric technique. Bed-rest studies revealed variable mineral losses but suggested that little if any is lost during 4-6 weeks, with variable amounts being lost in 8 weeks. Losses up to 40% were noted in the os calcis after 9 months, with essentially none in the radius and ulna. When this technique was employed during the Apollo 14, 15, and 16 missions, only one crewman (CMP Apollo 15) showed significant losses in the os calcis and none in the radius or ulna. These results were, therefore, in concert with the bed-rest data but at variance with the earlier Gemini data. The variability observed during bed rest was reconciled when it was observed that the rate of loss could be correlated with the initial 24-hour urinary hydroxyproline excretion and the initial os calcis mineral content. Prediction terms were established. Measurements of the SL-II crew after 28 days of weightlessness revealed no significant bone mineral losses. The Skylab data lie within the predicted limits obtained from the bed-rest data. The relevance of the prediction terms to the Skylab and longer missions discussed.     

Nausogenic properties of various dynamic and static force environments.

Motion sickness can occur when an accelerating force acting on the human body repeatedly changes amplitude and direction or both. It also can occur without any motion after transfer into a constant force field significantly different from Earth-gravity. Dynamic and static causes of motion sickness can be distinguished accordingly. Space sickness, too, has dynamic as well as static aspects. Dynamic space sickness might depend on increased bilateral differential sensitivity of the peripheral and central vestibular apparatus, whereas static space sickness may be caused by erroneous compensation of bilaterial asymmetries of the otolith-system in the microgravity environment. Experiments in airplanes, cars and on a vestibular sled have shown that the susceptibility to motion sickness is highest for changes of acceleration in the negative X-axis (as compared to the other axes) of the body. During reciprocating linear accelerations on the vestibular sled, standstill periods of movement and the direction of movement cannot correctly be indicated, because the peripheral vestibular apparatus lacks true motion detectors.     

Emergency medical care on space stations

This Note emphasizes the need, in a space station, of an emergency room, especially equipped with regard to clean air and competent paramedical personnel. The establishment of some degree of artificial gravity is desirable.     

Influence of proprioceptive information on space orientation on the ground and in orbital weightlessness.

Conscious space orientation depends on afferent information from different sense organs including the labyrinth, the eyes, tactile cues from the skin, joint receptors, muscle spindles, tendon organs and possibly viscera. An important role is played by impulses from the cervical position receptors in interaction with concomitant information from the otolith system. In order to isolate the effect of cervical position receptors from that of the otolith system, space experiments in orbital weightlessness and in parabolic aircraft flight were performed. It was found that stimulation of the neck receptors in weightlessness markedly influences the perception of the subjective vertical and horizontal and in addition has a weak effect on ocular torsion.     

EM Transient Protection Requirements for Avionics LRUs

Avionics and electronic equipment installed in aircraft and air breathing missiles are required to operate without upset or damage when subjected to EM environments caused by lightning, NEMP, and Intrasystems transients. To simplify the design effort required to protect electronic equipment and minimize overlapping transient requirements and qualification tests, unified test requirements and procedures are needed. The goal of these unified test procedures would be to insure a known susceptibility level for each newly designed electronic Line Replaceable Unit (LRU). Ten avionics equipments in current Air Force inventory were tested for the purpose of developing unified procedure test methods. Operating LRUs were subjected to transients using common mode cable current (CMCC), groung potentials and chatteriing relay cable injection methods. Based on observed test results and review of current test requirements, test methods and test levels for unified test procedures for power-on transient tests of avionics equipment have been formulated.