Mars Project
Professor André Aubert and his colleague Dr. Bart Verheyden of the Department of Experimental Cardiology research the effects of a journey into space on the heart and blood vessels. The research team is taking part in the Mars Project in Moscow, which started on 27 March.
Aubert: “We already know what the effects are of a journey into space on the heart and blood vessels and we also have sufficient exercises to counteract those effects. Simply put, our heart is controlled by our brain, which is accustomed to gravity here on earth. In space, there is no gravity and the brain starts transmitting incorrect information. The results of this are, for example, that our bones become more brittle and that the heart has to adjust. In a certain sense, you could compare it to the normal symptoms of ageing, except that we have techniques to make these harmful effects disappear after one has returned from space.”
“The Mars Project consists of six people of differing nationalities living together in a large enclosed space, similar to a submarine, for 500 days; the time it takes to travel to Mars. We consciously chose a multicultural group, because this causes more stress. The effect of stress on our cardiovascular system is precisely what I intend to research in this project. Our body is a composite whole and I want to discover what effect a psychological aspect such as stress might have on the heart and blood vessels. Though this project is a simulation, it is relevant to the next flight of the Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne. After all, he will be the commander of a long haul flight with six people of differing nationalities on board.” (tb)
