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At least 181 records · Page 10

Manned space flight in transition

A study was conducted to analyze the reorientation of NASA programs in the post-Apollo period. The study is an external view of NASA by unbiased observers as an input to and aid in the decision making process concerning near and long term planning. The subjects discussed are: (1) the near-term NASA scenario; (2) organization of field centers; (3) planning activities; and (4) operational activities. A summary of the recommendations arising as a result of the study is presented.

Drucker, E. E.↗

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

Research in aerospace medicine is presented. The reports discussed include: circulatory and respiratory transients during and after orthostasis and the effects of beta adrenergic blockade; the determination of total body water by an ethanol dilution method; and increased total respiratory conductance breathing 100% oxygen (forced oscillation method).

Luft, U. C.↗

Deep space network support of the manned space flight network for Apollo, volume 3

The Deep Space Network (DSN) activities in support of Project Apollo during the period of 1971 and 1972 are reported. Beginning with the Apollo 14 mission and concluding with the Apollo 17 mission, the narrative includes, (1) a mission description, (2) the NASA support requirements placed on the DSN, and, (3) a comprehensive account of the support activities provided by each committed DSN deep space communication station. Associated equipment and activities of the three elements of the DSN (the Deep Space Instrumentation Facility (DSIF), the Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF), and the Ground Communications Facility (GCF)) used in meeting the radio-metric and telemetry demands of the missions are documented.

Hartley, R. B.↗

Historics of the Space Tracking And Data Acquisition Network (STADAN), the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN), and the NASA Communications Network (NASCOM)

The historical and technical aspects of the major networks which comprise the NASA tracking and data acquisition system are considered in a complete reference work which traces the origin and growth of STADAN, MSFN, and NASCOM up to mid-1971. The roles of these networks in both the Gemini and Apollo programs are discussed, and the separate developmental trends are identified for each network.

Corliss, W. R.↗

Endocrine responses in long-duration manned space flight

Endocrine measurements to assess the physiological cost of the combined stresses of space flight are considered from two aspects. First, fluid and electrolyte balance are correlated with weight loss, changes in the excretion of aldosterone and vasopressin and fluid compartments. The second area involves estimation of the physiological cost of maintaining a given level of performance during space flight by analysis of urinary catecholamines and cortisol. Inter-individual variability is demonstrated for most experimental indices measured. The measured changes are consistent with the hypothesis that a relative increase in thoracic blood volume upon transition to the zero-gravity environment can be interpreted as a true volume expansion resulting in an osmotic diuresis.

Leach, C. S.↗

Flux of high-LET cosmic-ray particles in manned space flight

On the Apollo and Skylab missions the high-energy heavy ion (HZE) flux was measured by means of plastic nuclear track detectors. Measurements involved the fluxes of high linear energy transfer (LET), particles with Z between 6 and 26 incident on astronauts and on several biological experiments. Partial results of these measurements are presented; the effects of shielding and solar modulation are discussed.-

Benton, E. V.↗

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

Subjects were tested for tolerance to lower body negative pressure (LBNP) before and after acute dehydration by working intermittenly for two hours without fluid replacement. On the second day there-after the LBNP tests were repeated before and after acute dehydration. The LBNP test consisted of 5 min long consective stages at -20, -30, -40, -50 and -60 Torr. Tests were terminated when syncope was imminent or the full sequence was completed. Tolerance was expressed in terms of cumulative stress in Torr x min. Measurements of body mass, density, fat fraction and total body water (TBW) were made before and after acclimation. Blood volume and its constituents were determined before and after each of the four LBNP tests. During LBNP, heart rate, blood pressure, and changes in calf and forearm volume were recorded every minute. Results showed: acute dehydration caused a significant loss in average LBNP tolerance on all subjects. Acclimation to heat did not significantly affect LBNP tolerance in hydrated subjects but significantly improved it on dehydrated subjects.

Luft, U. C.↗

Communication system analysis for manned space flight

One- and two-dimensional adaptive delta modulator (ADM) algorithms are discussed and compared. Results are shown for bit rates of two bits/pixel, one bit/pixel and 0.5 bits/pixel. Pictures showing the difference between the encoded-decoded pictures and the original pictures are presented. The effect of channel errors on the reconstructed picture is illustrated. A two-dimensional ADM using interframe encoding is also presented. This system operates at the rate of two bits/pixel and produces excellent quality pictures when there is little motion. The effect of large amounts of motion on the reconstructed picture is described.

Schilling, D. L.↗

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

Breath-by-breath measurements of pulmonary capillary O2 transfer and ventilation with a box-balloon spirometer and mass spectrometer were made on 3 subjects before, during and after 10 min of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at -20, -40 and -60 Torr with arterial samples at -60 Torr. Deficits in blood O2 stores (O2B) were noted during LBNP with repayment of O2B during recovery being related to the intensity of LBNP stress. Concurrent calf volume, measured with a Hg strain gauge, decreased towards baseline well before the peak rise in pulmonary capillary O2 transfer after the release of LBNP which signified that O2B changes were related to blood volume shifts. The return of O2-depleted pooled blood to the central circulation during the first min. of recovery caused significant stress-related hyperpnea which peaked near 30 sec. and returned to near baseline after the first min. Three-compartment lung model analyses indicated an increase in the ventilated unperfused lung fraction from 0.09 to 0.17 with the effective compartment decreasing from 0.83 to 0.77. It appears that the 30% increase in ventilation equivalent was primarily the result of less effective lung perfusion during the LBNP.

Source record↗

Communication system analysis for manned space flight

The development of adaptive delta modulators capable of digitizing a video signal is summarized. The delta modulator encoder accepts a 4 MHz black and white composite video signal or a color video signal and encodes it into a stream of binary digits at a rate which can be adjusted from 8 Mb/s to 24 Mb/s. The output bit rate is determined by the user and alters the quality of the video picture. The digital signal is decoded using the adaptive delta modulator decoder to reconstruct the picture.

Schilling, D. L.↗

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

The effects of a diuretic (Lasix) induced dehydration on the cardiovascular and hematological responses to lower body negative pressure (LBNP) were analyzed and compared to previous observations on dehydration following exercise in the heat. During LBNP runs the subjects were monitored for changes in blood volume, heart rate, blood pressure, and variations in the volume of the left calf. It was concluded that Lasix dehydration produced a depletion of the body electrolytes at the expense of both the plasma and extravascular compartments. Striking differences were found between those subjects who were physically active (Runners: R) and those who did not engage in any regular physical activity (Non-runners: NR). Tolerance to LBNP (Torr x min) was significantly lower in the R's than the NR's before and after dehydration, however the R's lost more of their tolerance after dehydration with Lasix than after exercise in the heat for about the same fluid loss. The opposite was true for the NR's. Two factors appear to be responsible for the lower LBNP tolerance in R's: parasympathetic inhibition of cardiac activity during LBNP and a greater propensity to pool blood in the lower extremities.

Luft, U. C.↗

Results of the investigation of the otolith function in manned space flights

The effects of conditions of long term and short term space flights on the otolith function of cosmonauts were investigated via pre and post examinations. The results show that after long term flight, the intensity of the otolith reflex increased and asymmetry occurred in the indicators of the otolith function. Large changes in terms of expression and duration in the indicators of the otolith function after long term flight as compared with short term flight were also noted.

Kornilova, L. N.↗

Preliminary report: Biomedical considerations for future manned space flights

The behavioral, psychological, and sociological aspects of space travel, particularly with emphasis on longer duration missions, are discussed along with the biomedical aspects of space flight. These factors may strongly interact with the various psycho-social factors and as such they stand as an immensely important area of concern in and of themselves. A foundation for understanding weightlessness related medical problems through a discussion of the history of symptoms reported specific details on the major areas of concern and approaches to their investigation are presented. Also, discussion is given to the possibility of various countermeasures. Some indication of the effects of various biomedical changes in performance are also covered.

Akins, F. R.↗