The Spacefarer’s Handbook by Bergita Ganse & Urs Ganse

Author:Bergita Ganse & Urs Ganse
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783662617021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Humans have differing comfort zones when it comes to draft, just as with temperatures in general, that change with exercise and differ between people. This potentially minor issue may become a very sensitive topic. When buying a sleeping bag, the comfort temperature is usually labelled differently for the sexes. In space, a compromise needs to be found between the necessary airflow and comfort temperature. In case of problems, thicker clothing and warm drinks may be considered.

The Microbiome on Board

Growth of microscopic life forms such as bacteria and fungi on board spacecraft and stations has received growing attention over the past years. Figure 4.6 shows black mould formation on the ISS. As mould is known for its potential negative health effects, such as respiratory tract infections, crews clean the International Space Station as part of their weekly schedule. Apart from its effects on humans, mould can also destroy surfaces, can change properties and even form holes in metal by biofilm formation. Filamentous fungi are abundant on Earth and show up in and on soil, structures, organisms, as well as in water. The ISS has been visited by hundreds of people, each of them bringing their own population of microorganisms along. These grow on all kinds of surfaces, similar to ground-based confined environments, such as intensive care units, operation rooms or submarines. The “EXTREMOPHILES” experiment analysed the biome on board the ISS including swabs being taken in various locations. It showed fluctuations in the microbiome profile over time. Microbes are adapted to the environment, but not necessarily harmful to humans. For long-term spaceflight, microbial monitoring is desirable, and surfaces should be cleaned with potent disinfectants to prevent adverse health effects. While some fungi are resistant to radiation, many of them will disappear when exposed to UV-C light. Melanin-containing fungal species such as Aspergillus niger , on the other hand, resist UV radiation and cannot easily be removed with UV exposure alone. Evacuating the spacecraft by venting the atmosphere into space does not kill the microbiome reliably either, as exposure experiments on the outside of the ISS have shown fungal spores to survive for years in vacuum conditions. A promising approach to efficient decontamination of items in space vehicles are plasma processes with Low Pressure Plasma (LPP). Other options include antibacterial surfaces, for example, made of copper or silver, that microbes do not feel comfortable on. A thorough overview of microbiological findings from the International Space Station is published by Mora et al. (2019).

Fig. 4.6Mould formation on board the ISS on a panel where moist clothing and towels are usually kept to dry (Image: NASA)

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