Plasma and urine catecholamine levels in cosmonauts during long-term stay on Space Station Salyut-7.

The activity of the sympathetic adrenal system in cosmonauts exposed to a stay in space lasting for about half a year has so far been studied only by measuring catecholamine levels in plasma and urine samples taken before space flight and after landing. The device "Plasma 01", specially designed for collecting and processing venous blood from subjects during space flight on board the station Salyut-7 rendered it possible for the first time to collect and freeze samples of blood from cosmonauts in the course of a long-term 237-day space flight. A physician-cosmonaut collected samples of blood and urine from two cosmonauts over the period of days 217-219 of their stay in space. The samples were transported to Earth frozen. As indicators of the sympathetic adrenal system activity, plasma and urine concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine as well as urine levels of the catecholamine metabolites metanephrine, normetanephrine, and vanillylmandelic acid were determined before, during and after space flight. On days 217-219 of space flight plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were slightly increased, yet not substantially different from normal. During stress situations plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels usually exhibit a manifold increase. On days 217-219 of space flight norepinephrine and epinephrine levels in urine were comparable with pre-flight values and the levels of their metabolites were even significantly decreased. All the parameters studied, particularly plasma norepinephrine as well as urine norepinephrine, normetanephrine, and vanillylmandelic acid, reached the highest values 8 days after landing. The results obtained suggest that, in the period of days 217-219 of the cosmonauts stay in space in the state of weightlessness, the sympathetic adrenal system is either not activated at all or there is but a slight activation induced by specific activities of the cosmonauts, whereas in the process of re-adaptation after space flight on Earth this system is considerably more markedly activated.     

Mathematical Modeling of Convection in the DACON Sensor under Conditions of Real Space Flight

A mathematical model of the operation of the sensor of convection under ground and space conditions is described, and the results of modeling are compared to experimental data. A good agreement of the model and experiment is obtained for ground conditions. The sensor operation under conditions of a space flight is simulated using actual microaccelerations that took place onboard the Mirstation. Good sensitivity of the sensor to the measured components of acceleration is demonstrated. The results of simulation are compared to the results of space experiments carried out with the DACON instrument onboard the Mirstation.     

Hypervelocity fragment formation technology for ground-based laboratory tests

Cumulative jet formation was regarded aimed at the formation of hypervelocity fragments up to 14 km/s for the investigation of space debris effects on shielding screens. The basic physical problems of jet formation process are analyzed. It is shown that in process of realization of hyper-cumulation conditions for jet formation without complete stagnation point involving formation of the inner zone of constant pressure (dead zone), the flow mass is always greater than slug mass. That opens wide the possibilities for increasing fragment mass in laboratory tests.     

Development of Satellite Methods for Radio Holographic Surveys of the Earth's Surface and Atmosphere

The methods of studying the Earth's surface and troposphere with the help of coherent radio waves radiated by satellites are considered. Some examples of measurements of the local relief of the Earth's surface by the method of radar interferometer are presented, as well as refraction profiles of the troposphere obtained by the radio holographic method. The described methods are promising for investigations of the local relief of the Earth's surface and its changes, for studying the characteristics of sea heaving, and for monitoring atmospheric processes.     

Analysis of the Informativity of the Earth’s Magnetic Field in Near-Earth Space

Cosmic Research - This paper presents the results of a study of the informativity of the anomalies of the modulus and components of the Earth’s magnetic field in near-Earth space in the...     

Does geomagnetic storm magnitude depend on solar flare importance?

In order to predict space weather effects, solar flares are often used as precursors of magnetic storms on the Earth. In particular, possible relation between the solar flare importance and magnetic storm intensity is discussed in some papers. However, published results contradict each other. We compare the published results on the flare-storm dependence and discuss possible causes of this disagreement: (1) different intervals of observation, (2) differing statistics, and (3) different methods of identification of events and their comparison. Our analysis has shown that the fact of occurrence and the magnitude of a geomagnetic storm cannot be determined, generally, using only the solar flare importance. However, analyzing additional information on the coronal mass ejection (CME), associated with the geomagnetic storm, one can offer an algorithm for the storm magnitude prediction on the basis of flare importance.     

Design to safety: experience and plans of the Russian space suit programme

The paper presents the analysis of the Russian experience gained in the operations of Salyut-6, 7 and Mir orbital stations. The main factors determining their effectiveness and safety are considered and the main requirements to the EVA suit, as the most important tool for the EVA, are formulated.     

A mathematical and experimental simulation of the hematological response to weightlessness

Two ground-based methods of weightlessness simulation--a computer model of erythropoiesis feedback regulation and bedrest--were used to investigate the mechanisms which lead to loss of red cell mass during spaceflight. Both methods were used to simulate the first Skylab mission of 28 days. Human bedrest subjects lose red cell mass linearly with time and in this study the loss was 6.7% at the end of four weeks (compared to 14% in Skylab). Postbedrest recovery of red cell mass was delayed for two weeks during which time a further decline in this quantity was noted. This is consistent with the first Skylab mission but not with the two longer flights of two and three months. Hemoconcentration, observed early in the study, was essentially maintained despite red cell loss because of continued loss of plasma volume. The computer model, using the time-varying hematocrit data to estimate red cell production rates, predicted dynamic behavior of plasma volume and red cell mass that was in close agreement with the measured values. The results support the hypothesis that red cell loss during supine bedrest is a normal physiological feedback process in response to hemoconcentration enhanced tissue oxygenation and suppression of red cell production. In contrast, the delayed postbedrest recovery of red cell mass was more difficult to explain, especially in the light of enhanced reticulocyte indices observed at the onset on ambulation. Model simulation suggested the possibilities, still to be experimentally demonstrated, that this period was marked by some combination of increased oxygen-hemoglobin affinity, small reductions in mean red cell life span, ineffective erythropoiesis, or abnormal reticulocytosis. The question of whether hemoconcentration is the sole contributor to spaceflight red cell losses also remains to be resolved.