Cryonics & Cryogenics News and Discussions
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:07 am
Nap Quest: How Suspended Animation Could Fuel Space Exploration
May 31st 2021
In space, no one can hear you sleep — but it’s possible that alarms could one day wake astronauts on alien worlds hundreds or thousands of light years away. This is the promise and potential of suspended animation, sometimes called human hibernation or “cryosleep.” While it’s still (mostly) the stuff of science fiction, new advancements in snooze-related science could turn this into a tired-and-true method for space exploration.
[...]
Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have begun preliminary research into cryosleep solutions. But how exactly would this suspended snooze-fest work?
It all starts with torpor, a hypermetabolic state already seen in animals such as hummingbirds that significantly reduces their body temperature and, in turn, the amount of energy required to keep their bodies alive. While torpor bears similarities to true hibernation, including lowered body temperatures and slowed processes, torpor cycles typically require daily food foraging. Meanwhile, hibernation relies on increased resource consumption prior to deep sleep but is associated with much longer periods of reduced activity. Successful snooze-based solutions for astronauts are about splitting the difference.
“If we were able to reduce an astronaut’s basic metabolic rate by 75% — similar to what we can observe in nature with large hibernating animals such as certain bears — we could end up with substantial mass and cost savings, making long-duration exploration missions more feasible,” notes Dr. Jennifer Ngo-Anh, a research team leader for the ESA study. If humans could be put into a state of controlled torpor that reduced consumption needs without requiring the massive pre-feed to sustain hibernation, it could be our ticket to the stars.
The good news? This idea isn’t just science fiction. Controlled hibernation has been used to help improve recovery after serious events, such as gunshot wounds, and reduce the risk of brain damage during surgery. In practice, this requires the slow decrease of internal body temperature.
Read more: https://now.northropgrumman.com/nap-que ... ploration/
May 31st 2021
In space, no one can hear you sleep — but it’s possible that alarms could one day wake astronauts on alien worlds hundreds or thousands of light years away. This is the promise and potential of suspended animation, sometimes called human hibernation or “cryosleep.” While it’s still (mostly) the stuff of science fiction, new advancements in snooze-related science could turn this into a tired-and-true method for space exploration.
[...]
Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have begun preliminary research into cryosleep solutions. But how exactly would this suspended snooze-fest work?
It all starts with torpor, a hypermetabolic state already seen in animals such as hummingbirds that significantly reduces their body temperature and, in turn, the amount of energy required to keep their bodies alive. While torpor bears similarities to true hibernation, including lowered body temperatures and slowed processes, torpor cycles typically require daily food foraging. Meanwhile, hibernation relies on increased resource consumption prior to deep sleep but is associated with much longer periods of reduced activity. Successful snooze-based solutions for astronauts are about splitting the difference.
“If we were able to reduce an astronaut’s basic metabolic rate by 75% — similar to what we can observe in nature with large hibernating animals such as certain bears — we could end up with substantial mass and cost savings, making long-duration exploration missions more feasible,” notes Dr. Jennifer Ngo-Anh, a research team leader for the ESA study. If humans could be put into a state of controlled torpor that reduced consumption needs without requiring the massive pre-feed to sustain hibernation, it could be our ticket to the stars.
The good news? This idea isn’t just science fiction. Controlled hibernation has been used to help improve recovery after serious events, such as gunshot wounds, and reduce the risk of brain damage during surgery. In practice, this requires the slow decrease of internal body temperature.
Read more: https://now.northropgrumman.com/nap-que ... ploration/