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Space Station

Advanced Tech and Life Science on Station Today Promoting Health

Nanomaterials manufacturing, 3D bioprinting, and astronaut eye health were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Friday. The Expedition 71 crew members also continued servicing spacesuits and conducted an emergency drill.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft recently delivered to the orbital outpost a biotechnology study to demonstrate the in-space production of nanomaterials that mimic DNA. NASA Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Mike Barratt worked on the second portion of that experiment on Thursday mixing then treating the research samples for analysis. Epps began her day mixing solutions in the Life Science Glovebox to create specialized nanomaterials. During the afternoon, Barratt applied sound and light treatments to the samples then stowed them aboard Dragon for analysis back on Earth. Results may lead to advanced therapies for space-caused and Earthbound health conditions.

The duo partnered back together at the end of the day for eye scans using standard medical imaging gear found in an optometrist’s on Earth. Barratt operated the hardware with guidance from doctors on the ground peering into Epp’s eyes and examining her retina and optic nerve for the B Complex eye health investigation.

Cardiac cell printing was back on the schedule on Thursday as NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick operated the BioFabrication Facility located inside the Columbus laboratory module . He swapped sample cassettes inside the bioprinter then processed the printed cell samples for incubation. Results may enable future space crews to print meals and medicines or doctors to manufacture organs and tissues for patients on Earth.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and practiced a simulated emergency return to Earth. The trio trained on a computer on the steps necessary to quickly enter the Soyuz crew ship and undock from the station for a controlled descent back to Earth.

Next, Dyson spent the rest of her day analyzing microbe samples, conducting a health checkup, and replacing orbital plumbing components. Kononenko and Chub activated a pair of Orlan spacesuits, installed components on the suits, then performed leak checks ahead of a Roscosmos spacewalk planned for April 25.

Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin started his day with blood tests then attached electrodes to himself that will monitor his heart activity for 24 hours. Afterward, he worked on Roscosmos life support maintenance before installing imagery hardware to study Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on X, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at:  https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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NASA Research Illuminates Medical Uses of Light Subheadline Experimentation helped demystify, legitimize, and simplify medical uses for long-known but little-understood light therapy

Can light help a wound heal faster? Alleviate pain? Prevent loss of eyesight?

Although decades of studies indicate it can – including extensive research funded by NASA – the mounting evidence hasn’t always drawn the attention that might be expected for such a striking discovery.

This may be because the science behind it hasn’t been well understood. For example, although a Danish physician received a Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering that exposure to concentrated red light accelerated the healing of sores, he remained reluctant to put it into practice without understanding why it worked.

A larger barrier to acceptance, though, has probably been that it simply sounds unbelievable.

In a 1989 paper about the health benefits of low-powered laser light, biophysicist Tiina Karu noted that the treatment appeared “highly incredible and even mysterious.” What’s more, she wrote, its effectiveness against many different ailments only added to doubts by creating the appearance of a proverbial snake-oil panacea.

Karu hypothesized that red light treated many afflictions because it improved overall cell function by stimulating the mitochondria that drive metabolism in animal cells. This would accelerate cell production and relieve oxidative stress, a factor that causes inflammation and symptoms of aging and ultimately contributes to diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other illnesses.

Today it’s thought that red and infrared wavelengths are absorbed by cytochrome C oxidase, a key enzyme in cellular metabolism, and probably by other light-sensitive chemicals, triggering a cascade of effects within the cell.

Karu and others began to suspect that “uniform” laser light probably wasn’t necessary for producing beneficial effects, but it was NASA that finally answered that question after the space agency stumbled on it accidentally.

LEDs for Plants, Then People

In the late 1980s, engineer Ron Ignatius worked at a company that partnered with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR), which was funded by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As light-emitting diode (LED) technology entered the commercial market, Ignatius worked with WCSAR to study this new lighting for growing plants in space. In 1989, Ignatius founded Quantum Devices Inc., and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from NASA paid the company to complete an LED plant-growth unit that grew potatoes on the space shuttle in 1995.

But the research had a side effect. The LEDs were red and blue because these are the most efficient light wavelengths for driving photosynthesis, and NASA scientists who spent time working with their hands under the lighting found that abrasions on their hands seemed to heal faster than normal.

This was how NASA stumbled into the world of medical light therapy. The agency saw a possible solution to a longstanding problem of space travel: without gravity, astronauts’ muscles and bones atrophy, and any wounds heal slowly, all of which endangers missions.

Ignatius also became interested in possible medical uses for LEDs. When he learned that Harry Whelan, a neurologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin, was investigating medical applications of light, he reached out.

Between 1995 and 2003, a series of eight NASA SBIR contracts, mostly from Marshall, funded experimentation on medical uses of LEDs, carried out between Quantum Devices, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a few other entities.

Near-infrared laser light had recently been shown to speed healing of wounds – particularly those that were starved for oxygen – by boosting the production of growth-factor proteins, collagen, and blood vessels. But lasers had drawbacks, said Helen Stinson, who oversaw the work as a senior engineer in Marshall’s Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department. “With lasers, you’ve got to be careful not to damage surrounding tissue, and they also use a lot of energy and they’re expensive,” said Stinson.

Besides addressing these issues, LED arrays also can be designed to emit multiple wavelengths, and they can cover a larger area than a laser.

Light Treatments Prove Themselves

Through experimentation, the researchers showed that high-intensity red and near-infrared LEDs significantly accelerated the healing of oxygen-deprived wounds in rats and also sped the growth and proliferation of skin, bone, and muscle cell cultures from mice and rats. The team supplied LED devices to U.S. Navy crews for treatment of training injuries. These produced more than a 40 percent greater improvement in musculoskeletal injuries and a 50 percent faster healing time for lacerations, compared to control groups.

Around that time, Whelan and colleagues showed that irradiation with Quantum Devices’ red LED arrays prevented methanol from causing blindness in rats, leading them to suggest light therapy as a treatment for retinal ailments from glaucoma to age-related macular degeneration.

With additional military funding, Quantum Devices advanced this technology as the handheld WARP 10 – for Warfighter Accelerated Recovery by Photobiomodulation – to treat pain, inflammation, and minor injuries in military personnel. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its use for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, and muscle spasms. The company commercialized the device and followed it in 2007 with the larger and more advanced WARP 75 .

Quantum Devices’ partnership with NASA and the Medical College of Wisconsin, along with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, culminated with a clinical trial using the WARP 75 to successfully treat acute sores that form in patients’ mucus membranes following powerful doses of radiation and chemotherapy that prepare them for bone marrow transplants.

An Industry Emerges

Two years after Ignatius’ death in 2011, Quantum Devices left the field of medical LEDs, and NASA didn’t end up using the technology in space. By then, however, the NASA-funded research had given rise to a growing multitude of companies commercializing the technique.

Not all those devices, however, are equal, said Robin Schumacher, who handled marketing for Quantum Devices during the WARP years. “The WARP is still leaps and bounds better technology than 99% of what’s on the market today,” said Schumacher, noting that the devices used advanced construction to efficiently produce intense, evenly distributed irradiance at specific wavelengths without dangerous heat.

And the NASA-initiated research not only advanced scientists’ understanding of different wavelengths’ ability to penetrate the body and elicit cellular responses but also included some of the first experimentation on optimizing doses with different intensity levels and treatment times, said Schumacher.

Devices that aren’t built on this knowledge “are just light bulbs,” she said.

After Ignatius’ death, Schumacher started working at Multi Radiance Medical Inc. of Solon, Ohio, which produces light-therapy devices for physical therapy, sports medicine, veterinary applications, and more. The company was founded in 2006 and has incorporated many of the findings from NASA and partners.

Multi Radiance devices now combine simultaneous super-pulsed laser and LED light, said Doug Johnson, the company’s senior vice president of clinical and scientific affairs, explaining that the rapid laser pulses create an acoustic effect on tissue that increases LED light penetration.

Before NASA’s involvement, light therapy devices were entirely laser-based, making them unsafe for home use, said Johnson. “So it was only available at clinics. NASA made it simple, accessible, easy to use, and safe.”

Smaller Devices, Bigger Reach

Multi Radiance started out making large, stationary devices for clinics, but as the company began following the WARP example with handheld, cordless devices around 2010, it was able to move into both the home market and veterinary applications. “If you’re treating a horse in a barn, you can’t have cords and plug in a console,” Johnson pointed out. Some of the company’s veterinary devices also use blue light for treating infections and other antibacterial applications, which the FDA still hasn’t cleared for use on people.

The company’s business is now evenly split between home devices and the stationary units still used by physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and chiropractors. The devices vary by coverage area, power level, and wavelength combination, and some add electrical stimulation or magnetic fields to increase light absorption. Human applications are primarily for relief from pain, inflammation, and stiffness.

Multi Radiance now has almost 50 employees and sells tens of thousands of devices each year in 32 countries, said Johnson.

He credited NASA with advancing and popularizing the field by taking a chance on a possible treatment for inhibited healing and atrophy in space. “It wasn’t until NASA took a hard look and said it might work that you started seeing commercial development,” Johnson said. “They went after something no one could treat and found something so simple and easy it’s incredible.”

Now Multi Radiance is expanding its consumer line, with a second-generation home device planned for release in 2022.

As the science becomes better understood, Johnson said, the company also hopes to advance more specific medical applications. For example, Multi Radiance has patented an LED-arrayed eyepatch for treating disorders like diabetic macular edema, as well as a device for reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia. Both are in clinical trials.

“But even as the biological effects of light become clearer,” Johnson said, “it’s hard to say what mechanisms of action are at work. Light works on so many different conditions it’s hard to identify just one underlying mechanism, but we’re getting closer.”

In the 2000s, NASA and a company called Quantum Devices worked with the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Alabama on clinical trials for light-therapy devices to treat side effects of radiation and chemotherapy in cancer patients preparing for bone marrow transplants. The devices successfully reduced painful oral mucositis sores caused by the cancer treatments.

Different Multi Radiance Medical light-therapy products are intended for use by athletes, trainers, and doctors, as well as pet owners. The devices are based in part on research that NASA funded in the 1990s and early 2000s. Credit: Multi Radiance Medical

Many of Multi Radiance Medical’s customers are athletic trainers, physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors who use light therapy in their practices. The technology’s applications are primarily for relief from pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Credit: Getty Images

The late Quantum Devices founder Ron Ignatius holds what he referred to as a “photon cannon,” capable of delivering a full watt of energy from LEDs alone. Marshall Space Flight Center partnered with Quantum Devices and others to explore the health benefits of certain light wavelengths and prove they could be effectively delivered by LEDs, giving rise to a light-therapy industry. Credit: NASA

Multi Radiance Medical’s line of light-therapy devices, combining LED and super-pulsed laser light, includes products specially designed for use on animals. Credit: Iker Asteinza Castro/Animal Home Veterinary Hospital

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‘Chipping’ Away at Personalized Medicine

Designing a ‘ crystal ball ’ the size of a thumb.

Extending the longevity of tissue chips used for biomedical research could contribute to unprecedented advancements in predictive medicine and personalized healthcare.

Innovative models, such as 3D Tissue Chips and microphysiological systems (MPS), enable researchers to study how a patient might respond to a treatment without the need for the patient to receive it directly. Today, these chips only ‘ live' for approximately one month, limiting researchers ’ ability to track the longer-term effects of treatments on tissues. For example, an individual ’ s initial response to a drug might be favorable, but further study could reveal other unexpected or detrimental effects with prolonged usage.

Longer-lived tissue chips could benefit biomedical research in many ways: from reducing the reliance on human and animal testing to predicting drug failures to personalizing medical kits for astronauts in space. To help make this a reality, multiple agencies came together to collectively use their resources to improve our understanding of Earth-based disease and the biological impacts of spaceflight.

FDA remains deeply engaged in identifying and fostering strategies that can bring alternative testing methods such as microphysiological systems to FDA for integration into the review process. Collaboration with our partners in the public and private sectors has been critical to advancing our efforts in this area, particularly with respect to medical countermeasures.” 

Rear Admiral Denise Hinton

FDA CHIEF SCIENTIST

Partnering with other agencies enables us to do things together that we can’t accomplish alone. It helps accelerate our research processes and conduct our research better, faster, and more cost-effectively."

Dr. Joni Rutter

Acting Director, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH/NCATS)

What are 3D Tissue Chips?

Microphysiological systems (MPS) and 3D tissue chips replicate organ-specific cells—such as heart, pancreatic, liver, and others—on small devices, roughly the size of a USB drive. Researchers and clinicians use these tissue chips to test and observe how cells respond to various environmental factors (such as radiation and microgravity) and treatments (including medications and chemotherapy).

Agencies Join Forces to Advance Science and Share the Benefits

A collaboration among NASA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ’ s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) aims to extend the longevity of 3D tissue chips and MPSs to a minimum of six months.

The extended chip lifespan would enable researchers to assess the effects of acute and chronic stressors over longer periods of time. Results from longer-duration studies could be used to better understand: 1) disease models, 2) drug development, 3) clinical trial design, 4) chemical and environmental exposures and countermeasures, and 5) physiological changes due to the spaceflight environment.

Spearheaded by NASA ’ s Biological and Physical Sciences Division, the agencies have come together to further this important area of research that will benefit human health, both on Earth and in space. The International Space Station ’ s National Laboratory (also known as CASIS) frequently works with commercial industry, academia, and international organizations to conduct investigations aboard the space station in this and many other areas of research as well.

Partnering has allowed the agencies to maximize the government ’ s investment in this technology area, reduce duplicative research, and accelerate technical advances toward understanding diseases and ways to treat them.

“ Interagency collaboration has enabled the FDA to work more efficiently by leveraging resources, expertise, and approaches through new and established partnerships to address important regulatory science gaps,” says Captain Tracy MacGill, director of Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Regulatory Science with the FDA. Adds Dr. Shannon Loelius, biologist with BARDA, “ We can leverage subject matter expertise across United States ’ government agencies, coordinate efforts across all program awards, and maintain situational awareness of partner interests and development. The collaboration will enable streamlined development with minimal redundancies.”

Looking Ahead: The Potential Impacts

Representatives from the agencies offered their perspectives about how extending the longevity of tissue chips might contribute to scientific advancements in their organizations:

FDA: Captain Tracy MacGill, director of MCM Regulatory Science

“ We expect that extending the lifespan of the microphysiological systems will provide more relevant and predictive models. For example, this will enable us to look at the effects of drugs or other FDA-regulated products over a longer duration in both normal cells and those with acute and chronic diseases. The research has the potential to provide a wider window into safety and efficacy of a variety of medical products.”

BARDA: Dr. Shannon G. Loelius, biologist, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures

“ BARDA anticipates that the development of extended longevity microphysiological systems with integrated, non-invasive sampling will enable quicker development of medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases, and identification of relevant biomarkers. The MPS could, in theory, be used to screen medical countermeasures to treat specific pathologies associated with acute radiation syndrome, such as endothelial dysfunction. Extended longevity MPS could be used to understand delayed effects of ARS on human systems, as well as any longer-term effects of therapeutics.”

NIH - National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences: Dr. Joni Rutter, acting director

“ NIH and NASA are together exploring how cutting-edge biomedical research can benefit human health here on Earth as well as address some of the challenges of deep-space exploration. Extending culture life of tissue chips enables the ability to look at chronic issues over time and anticipate the key challenges of longer-term exposure. It has the potential to transform patient care where clinicians can predict an individual ’ s response to treatments and develop a personalized approach to medicine. Our objective is to increase focus on automation to enable development of systems that can run without the need for specialized expertise and broaden the utility of using tissue chips to a wider application in a variety of experimental settings and environments.”

NIH - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID): Dr. Andrea DiCarlo-Cohen, director, Radiation Nuclear Countermeasure Program

“ In keeping with the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between NASA and the NIH, the NIAID Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program is eager to coordinate research activities with the NASA Biological and Physical Sciences Division on studies using long-term 3D tissue and microphysiological systems to better understand the impact of radiation exposures (both terrestrial and space-based) on human tissues. Through this joint funding opportunity, we are excited to explore adaptation of this technology for identification of biomarkers and development of treatments for acute, unintended radiation exposures. This initiative will undoubtedly conserve animal resources and bridge gaps in knowledge of human radiation responses that are not readily addressed through existing models.”

NIH – National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis: Dr. Brian Sorg, program director

“ NIH supports tissue chips research to address the limitations of traditional cell culture and animal models that fail to adequately replicate human tissue physiology, structure, and function. NCI enthusiastically partnered with NASA in this effort to enhance tissue chips longevity so these model systems could better address basic research questions in cancer biology and produce more clinically relevant results for improved cancer screening, diagnosis, drug development, and treatment.”

NASA - BPS Division: Dr. Lisa Carnell, program scientist for Translational Research

“ Extending the longevity of 3D tissues and microphysiological systems will allow us to understand the effects of spaceflight on human organs and systems, which is critical as we plan for sustainable presence on the lunar surface and our journey to Mars. Given the limited space aboard spaceflight vehicles, crew will need to be selective about the supplies they bring. Knowing ahead of time how an astronaut will respond to a medication ensures that the right supplies are included in a medical kit and minimizes the risks of unexpected adverse effects.”

Extending the longevity of microphysiological systems could lead to transformative advancements in science and medicine, both on Earth and in space. Modeling human tissues on chips and studying them for longer durations could enable researchers to:

• Anticipate the key challenges of longer-term exposure to stressors and treatments.
• Employ alternative methods to human and animal testing.
• Ensure the health of astronauts during deep space missions.
• Develop medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear agents, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases, like COVID-19.

Proposals for the solicitation to extend the life of tissue chips were accepted through September 2021. Selections are expected to be announced in early 2022.

About the Agencies

• The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) strives to develop innovations to reduce, remove or bypass costly and time-consuming bottlenecks in the translational research pipeline in an effort to speed the delivery of new drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices to patients.
• The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) leads, conducts, and supports cancer research across the nation to advance scientific knowledge and help all people live longer, healthier lives.
• The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases; and also serves as the lead Institute within NIH for the development of medical countermeasures to diagnose/mitigate/treat radiation injuries. Within NIAID, the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation (DAIT) supports basic and clinical research
• exploring how the immune system functions during health and under abnormal conditions, which includes allergic, autoimmune, and infectious diseases; and abnormalities induced by exposure to radiation and toxins; to improve the understanding of the causes of immunologic diseases and to develop better diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies. The Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP) is tasked with developing a robust research program to accelerate the development and deployment of new medical countermeasures and biodosimetry approaches.
• Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) , part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary
• for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), was established to aid in securing our nation from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as from pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases (EID). BARDA supports the transition of medical countermeasures such as vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics from research through advanced development towards consideration for approval by the FDA and inclusion into the Strategic National Stockpile.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a critical role in protecting the United States from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and emerging infectious disease threats. FDA ensures that medical countermeasures (MCMs)—including drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests—to counter these threats are safe, effective, and secure. FDA has had a long-standing commitment to promote the development and use of new technologies to better predict human and animal responses to substances relevant to its regulatory mission. FDA has established a cross-agency Alternative Methods Working Group , which is developing a targeted strategy for moving toward the use of alternative methods for regulatory testing. FDA has also launched nimble funding mechanisms like the Advancing Regulatory Science Broad Agency Announcement to support novel approaches to evaluating FDA-regulated products and help advance new technologies, like human organs-on-chips.
• NASA ’ s Biological and Physical Sciences Division ’ s Space Biology Program ’ s main research objective is to build a better understanding of how spaceflight affects living systems in spacecraft, such as the International Space Station (ISS), or in ground-based experiments, and to prepare for future human exploration missions far from Earth.
• NASA ’ s Human Research Program (HRP) is focused on investigating and mitigating the highest risks to human health and performance in support of NASA exploration missions. HRP conducts research, develops countermeasures, and undertakes technology development to inform and support compliance with NASA's health, medical, human performance, and environmental standards.

Related Resources

[Research Solicitation] Extended Longevity of 3D Tissues and Microphysiological Systems for Modeling of Acute and Chronic Exposures to Stressors

Small Tissue Chips in Space a Big Leap Forward for Research

Human Organ Chips for Radiation Countermeasure Development - Scientists are developing models of radiation damage in lung, gut and bone marrow organs-on-chips and using these

models to test MCMs to treat such damage.

What are Medical Countermeasures?

DRIVe ImmuneChip+ Program (2021)

BARDA announcement of the DRIVe/NCATS ImmuneChip+ Program (2021)

The BARDA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA; BAA-18-100-SOL-00003), Area of Interest #4: Radiological/Nuclear Threat Medical Countermeasures, section “ 4.4 Enabling Technologies” supports relevant MPS technology (2020)

BARDA/UPenn tissue chip partnership (2020)

BARDA/Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) tissue chip partnership (2019)

Related Terms

• 3D Tissue Chips
• Biological & Physical Sciences

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What breakthroughs in medicine came from NASA?

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Key Takeaways

• NASA's contributions to medical breakthroughs are extensive, including advancements in MRI technology and the development of the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) for heart patients, showcasing the agency's role beyond space exploration.
• Technologies initially developed for space missions have been adapted for medical use, such as digital image processing that enhances MRI and CT scan images and light technology that mitigates chemotherapy side effects in cancer patients.
• NASA's innovations have led to a variety of medical devices and procedures, including ear thermometers, insulin pumps, artificial heart defibrillators and improvements in mammography technology, demonstrating the broad impact of space technology on healthcare.

Most Americans don't go a week -- maybe not even a day -- without encountering something that owes at least part of its origins to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ). That's true in the home medicine cabinet, the doctor's office and the hospital.

NASA's role in medical breakthroughs is no accident. When Congress established NASA in 1958, it required the space agency to share information about its discoveries. NASA was also given the go-ahead to patent inventions and help businesses develop commercial uses for them.

Some medical breakthroughs are the result of NASA's partnerships with other researchers. Some came because NASA scientists saw other applications for discoveries they made or technologies they developed while keeping spacecraft flying and astronauts healthy. NASA reports the commercial use of its inventions in its annual "Spinoff" reports.

Sometimes NASA didn't invent the breakthrough, but rather the technologies that led to the breakthrough or improved on them. For instance, NASA didn't invent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), but NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed digital image processing to enhance pictures of the moon. That contributed to MRIs and CT or CAT Scans (also known as computerized tomography).

Another example is the development of the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) in 1995. Engineers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston worked with Dr. Michael DeBakey to develop this artificial heart pump based on the space shuttle's fuel pumps. It helps keep people healthy as they wait for heart transplants -- and sometimes makes a transplant unnecessary.

More recently, NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program at the Marshall Space Flight Center sponsored successful clinical trials on medical uses of a light technology that was originally developed for plant experiments on space shuttles. A Wisconsin company and a research center sponsored by NASA at the University of Wisconsin at Madison figured out how to use the light technology to reduce the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment in cancer patients who have bone marrow or stem cell transplants. Over the years, NASA can claim at least partial credit for a wide variety of medical innovations, from ear thermometers and automatic insulin pumps to implantable heart defibrillators and improvements in digital mammography technology.

Here are a few of the many other medical advances that came at least in part from NASA:

• Digital imaging breast biopsy system, developed from Hubble Space Telescope technology
• Tiny transmitters to monitor the fetus inside the womb
• Laser angioplasty, using fiber-optic catheters
• Forceps with fiber optics that let doctors measure the pressure applied to a baby's head during delivery
• Cool suit to lower body temperature in treatment of various conditions
• Voice-controlled wheelchairs
• Light-emitting diodes (LED) for help in brain cancer surgery
• Foam used to insulate space shuttle external tanks for less expensive, better molds for artificial arms and legs
• Programmable pacemakers
• Tools for cataract surgery

Keep reading for more information on NASA innovations.

Lots More Information

Related articles.

• 5 Types of NASA Technology in Your Attic
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• Marlaire, Ruth Dasso. "NASA Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the Virtual Collaborative Clinic." Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. May 4, 2009. (Accessed March 15, 2011)http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/features/2009/10th-Anniversary-of-the-Virtual-Collaborative-Clinic.html
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "At the Hospital With NASA." Marshall Space Flight Center Technology Transfer Program. (Accessed March 13, 2011)http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/at_home/athospital.htm
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "Combating Breast Cancer -- Research & Diagnosing Technology." (Accessed March 13, 2011)http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/combat_cancer.html
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "NASA light technology successfully reduces cancer patients' painful side effects from radiation and chemotherapy." Marshall Space Flight Center News Release. March 3, 2011. (Accessed March 16, 2011)http://www1.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2011/11-023.html
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "NASA Spinoff Frequently Asked Questions." (Accessed March 16, 2011) http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinfaq.htm
• The NIH Record. "NIH, NASA Partner for Health Research in Space." October 19, 2007. (Accessed March 16, 2011)http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2007/10_19_2007/story1.htm
• Norwood, Dr. Robert. "NASA Technologies Contribute to Medical Breakthroughs." Aerospace Technology Innovation. Volume 6, Number 2, March/April 1988. (Accessed March 8, 2011)http://ipp.nasa.gov/innovation.Innovation62/wel2162.htm
• Perryman, M. Ray. "Where were you in 1984 when the shuttle was taking off?" Odessa (Texas) American, March 15, 2011. (Accessed March 16, 2011)http://www.oaoa.com/articles/shuttle-61872-dynasty-taking.html
• The Ultimate Space Place. "Health and Medicine - NASA Spinoffs." NASA Spinoffs Bringing Space Down to Earth. (Accessed March 15, 2011)http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html#health
• Wilson, J.R. "Space Program Benefits: NASA's Positive Impact on Society." NASA 50th Anniversary Magazine. (Accessed March 13, 2011)http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/benefits.html

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News releases.

News Release

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Biomedical Researchers Invited to Design Experiments for the International Space Station

The National Institutes of Health and the National Air and Space Administration are partnering to conduct biomedical experiments that astronauts could perform on the International Space Station. In a notice to scientists at universities, medical centers, and companies across the United States, the NIH announced its willingness to fund highly meritorious biomedical experiments that could utilize the unique environment in space and produce breakthroughs to improve human health on Earth.

The International Space Station provides a special microgravity and radiological environment that Earth-based laboratories cannot replicate. Congress, recognizing the immense promise the facility holds for American-led science and technology efforts, opened the U.S. portion of the International Space Station to other federal agencies and university and private sector researchers when it designated the U.S. resources as a National Laboratory in 2005.

The NIH solicitation is the next step in a new partnership to apply the National Laboratory to research that complements NASA’s space exploration efforts. "As the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research, the NIH looks forward to facilitating access to our nation’s life sciences laboratory in space," said Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and NIH liaison to NASA.

Already, biomedical experiments conducted on the International Space Station have addressed how bone and muscle deteriorate, how humans fight infectious disease, and how cancers grow and spread. "The ISS is an extraordinarily capable laboratory in a unique environment that has not previously been available for widespread medical research. NASA strongly supports the NIH’s leadership in this promising opportunity," said Mark Uhran, NASA’s assistant associate administrator for the International Space Station.

The NIH-NASA program will encourage a new cadre of health researchers from a variety of disciplines to incorporate the space environment into their experiments, and will support them as they prepare their experiments for launch and analyze their data following a mission. "The diversity of NIH institutes and centers that agreed to participate in the initiative underscores the promise the International Space Station holds for human health," Katz continued. "We encourage all biomedical researchers in the United States — particularly those who are interested in molecular or cellular biology, biomaterials, or telemedicine — to give serious thought to how International Space Station facilities might answer their most pressing questions about how to benefit life on Earth."

Former astronaut and Senator Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt, who strongly supported the new partnership’s development when he was chairman of the NASA Advisory Council, applauded the initiative: "The NIH and NASA have a long history of collaboration, and this announcement builds on that foundation to leverage the American public’s investment in space-related health research and its implications for a much deeper understanding of human physiology."

In addition to NIAMS, other sponsors of the announcement include the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

For more information on the NIH-NASA partnership and the funding opportunity announcement, visit http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/NIH_NASA_Activities/default.asp . For more information on the National Laboratory at the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/nlab/ .

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about NIAMS, call the information clearinghouse at 301-495-4484 or 877-22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS Web site at  http://www.niams.nih.gov .

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) —  The Nation's Medical Research Agency  — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit  www.nih.gov .

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

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• Published: 14 September 2021

Open science in space

Nature Medicine volume  27 ,  page 1485 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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Scientific and medical research conducted in space can bring benefits for all humankind, but this will require commercial space flight companies to embrace open data principles.

The recent lift off of two billionaires on their respective private spacecraft was not quite the giant leap seen in 1969, but has still been heralded as the start of a new golden era of space flight. Astronomers have observed the stars for millennia, but modern space research is interdisciplinary, and includes life sciences and medicine. For people on Earth to benefit from space science, data from research in space must be open, regardless of the interests of commercial companies .

Space flight is one of humanity’s greatest achievements and has a unique ability to amaze and inspire future generations of mathematicians, scientists, engineers and doctors. Indeed, an increasing number of astronauts are medically or scientifically trained, including virologist Kate Rubin, astrophysicist, engineer and physician David Saint-Jacques, and Serena Auñón-Chancellor, board-certified in internal and aerospace medicine. Medical research in space has two goals: to enable people to travel safely in low Earth orbit, to the Moon, and then to Mars and back; and to improve health on Earth through discoveries made in space.

Several aspects of human biology are uniquely affected by the conditions and exposures of space travel. Microgravity, radiation and isolation each take their toll on the human body and mind. Muscle volume and bone mass both decrease during time in microgravity, with astronauts losing around 1% of their bone density each month. At 0.38 g , the gravity on Mars may be enough to regenerate bone cells lost during the 7-month trip. If not, a ticket to Mars may be one-way, or vertebrae could be crushed during re-entry to Earth. Cosmic rays regularly pass through astronauts, causing blinding flashes when traveling through the eye, and leading to an increased risk of cancer and cataracts. With no electromagnetic field on Mars to divert harmful radiation, people may need to live underground. The eye is also affected by microgravity, leading to far-sightedness in many astronauts.

Space science can also offer insights on aspects of human health on Earth. Everyone who has lived through lockdowns knows the mental-health effects of isolation. Space agencies have such extensive experience in dealing with isolation that they have assisted with crises on Earth, providing support, for example, to the 33 trapped Chilean miners in 2010, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic . A voyage that goes boldly to Mars may need a ship’s counselor.

Space research could also provide a model for sustainable living on Earth, such as how to deal with water shortages (Scott Kelly drank 730 litres of his own recycled sweat and urine ), use of telemedicine in remote communities, and 3D printing of organs and medical supplies. The geographic information system (GIS) has been used to map the deforestation of the Amazon, track outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and identify remote villages for polio vaccinations. Digital image processing , which was invented to enhance pictures of the Moon, is used on images from CT and MRI scans, and forms an essential part of medical diagnostics. Vibration platforms , originally developed by the USSR for cosmonaut training, are now used to treat muscle atrophy and osteoporosis in older people

Supply trips for the International Space Station (ISS) are provided by commercial companies, as part of a growing number of public private partnerships, and bring new experiments for the astronauts. In August, the crew of the ISS received a 3D printer, cardiac muscle cells, a new CO 2 removal system or ‘scrubber’, and some slime mold.

The cardiac muscle cells will be used to model the skeletal muscle disorder sarcopenia , which can lead to falls and functional decline, particularly in older people. Sarcopenia is also seen in astronauts, and so researchers hope that microgravity will have a similar effect on myocytes in vitro, and allow the development of a myotube model for pre-clinical drug screening. With no currently approved treatments, this would benefit people in space and on Earth.

The CO 2 scrubber traps carbon dioxide from the spacecraft atmosphere in a mineral known as zeolite, with the CO 2 then either vented or converted into water — technology that could be used in closed environments on Earth, as well as for removing greenhouse gases . The slime mold is in orbit for education and inspiration, as part of a French school’s science project.

Any trip into space should not just inspire, but should also tangibly benefit all humanity. The principles of open science should be embraced by commercial space flight companies. Proprietary information is unavoidable, especially with regards to propulsion systems, but scientific research conducted on space stations, whether publically or privately operated , should be published and widely disseminated.

The greatest benefit will come if health data from all space tourists and astronauts are stored, with their consent, in electronic health records in a single database or trusted research environment, so that the space science community can access and analyze the data. As the number of people in space increases, this unique dataset will be an invaluable tool for further understanding and mitigating the effects of space flight on the human body. As with all health data, diversity is also key and is currently lacking, notwithstanding China and India’s space ambitions, the ESA’s parastronaut feasibility project, and NASA’s Artemis mission. This increased diversity is late but welcome.

Scientific and medical research in space has been an exemplar of international cooperation and openness. Companies have an important role for innovation and for reducing costs, but without data sharing, important scientific advances will have a limited effect and a narrow benefit. As the first person in space, Yuri Gagarin, said, Earth is “too small for conflict and just big enough for cooperation”. Cooperation, and not conflict, should also embody space science.

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Mars Sample Return has been a major long-term goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades. NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting compelling science samples that will help scientists understand the geological history of Mars, the evolution of its climate, and prepare for future human explorers. The return of the samples will also help NASA’s search for signs of ancient life.

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Media who wish to participate in the teleconference should RSVP by 11 a.m. on April 15 by emailing [email protected] .

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The solar eclipse will be visible for millions of Americans on April 8, 2024, making many excited to see it — but how you watch it matters, since it can be dangerous for your eyes. 

A  solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun's light . When the moon blocks some of the sun, it's a partial solar eclipse, but when moon lines up with the sun, blocking all of its light, a total solar eclipse occurs,  NASA explains . Either way, you need eye protection when viewing.

"The solar eclipse will be beautiful, so I hope that everyone experiences it — but they need to experience it in the right way," said Dr. Jason P. Brinton, an ophthalmologist and medical director at Brinton Vision in St. Louis.

Here's what to know to stay safe.

Why is looking at a solar eclipse dangerous?

Looking at the sun — even when it's partially covered like during an eclipse — can cause eye damage.

There is no safe dose of solar ultraviolet rays or infrared radiation, said  Dr. Yehia Hashad , an ophthalmologist, retinal specialist and the chief medical officer at eye health company Bausch + Lomb.

"A very small dose could cause harm to some people," he said. "That's why we say the partial eclipse could also be damaging. And that's why we protect our eyes with the partial as well as with the full sun."

Some say that during a total eclipse, it's safe to view the brief period time when the moon completely blocks the sun without eye protection. But experts warn against it. 

"Totality of the eclipse lasts only about 1 to 3 minutes based on geographic location, and bright sunlight suddenly can appear as the moon continues to move," notes an eclipse viewing guide published in JAMA , adding, "even a few seconds of viewing the sun during an eclipse" can temporarily or permanently damage your vision. 

Do I need special glasses for eclipse viewing?

Yes.  Eclipse glasses are needed to protect your eyes if you want to look at the eclipse.

Regular sunglasses aren't protective enough for eclipse viewing — even if you stack more than one. 

"There's no amount of sunglasses that people can put on that will make up for the filtering that the ISO standard filters and the eclipse glasses provide," Brinton said.

You also shouldn't look at the eclipse through a camera lens, phone, binoculars or telescope, according to NASA, even while wearing eclipse glasses. The solar rays can burn through the lens and cause serious eye injury.

Eclipse glasses must comply with the  ISO 12312-2 international safety standard , according to NASA, and should have an "ISO" label printed on them to show they comply. The American Astronomical Society  has a list  of approved solar viewers.

Can't find these, or they're sold out near you? You can also  make homemade viewers ,   which allow you to observe the eclipse indirectly — just don't accidentally look at the sun while using one.

How to keep kids safe during the solar eclipse

Since this eclipse is expected to occur around the time of dismissal for many schools across the country, it may be tempting for students to view it without the proper safety precautions while getting to and from their buses. That's why some school districts are  canceling classes early so kids can enjoy the event safely with their families.

Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, vitreoretinal surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai, said parents should also be careful because it can be difficult for children to listen or keep solar eclipse glasses on. 

"You want to actually, in my opinion, kind of avoid them even looking at the eclipse, if possible," he said. "Never look directly at the sun, always wear the right eclipse sunglasses if you are going to look at the sun and make sure that those are coming from a reliable source."

Brinton recommends everyone starts their eclipse "viewing" early, by looking at professional photos and videos of an eclipse online or visiting a local planetarium. 

That way, you "have an idea of what to expect," he said. 

He also recommends the foundation  Prevent Blindness , which has resources for families about eclipse safety.

What happens if you look at a solar eclipse without eclipse glasses?

While your eyes likely won't hurt in the moment if you look at the eclipse without protection, due to lowered brightness and where damage occurs in the eye, beware: The rays can still cause damage .

The harm may not be apparent immediately. Sometimes trouble starts to appear one to a few days following the event. It could affect just one or both eyes.

And while some will regain normal visual function, sometimes the damage is permanent. 

"Often there will be some recovery of the vision in the first few months after it, but sometimes there is no recovery and sometimes there's a degree to which it is permanent," Brinton said. 

How long do you have to look at the eclipse to damage your eyes?

Any amount of time looking at the eclipse without protection is too long, experts say. 

"If someone briefly looks at the eclipse, if it's extremely brief, in some cases there won't be damage. But damage can happen even within a fraction of a second in some cases," Brinton said. He said he's had patients who have suffered from solar retinopathy, the official name for the condition.

Deobhakta treated a patient who watched the 2017 solar eclipse for 20 seconds without proper eye protection. She now has permanent damage in the shape of a crescent that interferes with her vision. 

"The crescent that is burned into the retina, the patient sees as black in her visual field," he said. "The visual deficit that she has will never go away."

How to know if you've damaged your eyes from looking at the eclipse

Signs and symptoms of eye damage following an eclipse viewing include headaches, blurred vision, dark spots, changes to how you see color, lines and shapes. 

Unfortunately, there isn't a treatment for solar retinopathy.

"Seeing an eye care professional to solidify the diagnosis and for education I think is reasonable," Brinton said, but added, "right now there is nothing that we do for this. Just wait and give it time and the body does tend to heal up a measure of it."

Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.

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NASA's LRO finds photo op as it zips past South Korea's Danuri moon orbiter

NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), which has been circling and studying the moon for 15 years, captured several images of Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri lunar orbiter last month. The two spacecraft, traveling in nearly parallel orbits, zipped past each other in opposite directions between March 5 and 6, 2024.

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