• Question: How does your work link to the ESA's work overall?

    Asked by Wardell'sAstronauts to Anne, Beth, COLFlight, Jon, Tom on 7 Oct 2015.
    • Photo: Anne Visscher

      Anne Visscher answered on 7 Oct 2015:

      Hi Wardell’sAstronauts,

      The work I do is linked to ESA’s human spaceflight programme. Eventually, if astronauts go on long-term missions to other planets, it is important to know how they can survive in life support systems. Plants are good candidates for helping humans survive since they can produce oxygen and food and they can also clean wastewater (from showers, cleaning, toilets). If the astronauts take seeds with them to grow in life support systems, then we need to know how to store the seeds during space transport, because different species may need to be stored in different ways.
      Perhaps some seeds can be stored outside the spaceship, if they can survive the extreme drying in a vacuum. But other species may need to be protected if they get damaged by extreme drying. In my research I am trying to find out what the differences are between species.

      Anne

    • Photo: Beth Healey

      Beth Healey answered on 7 Oct 2015:

      I am working on one of ESA’s spaceflight analogues. I am doing research on how the crew respond to the conditions we experience here (psychology & physiology).

      There are lot’s of different analogues which all provide great platforms for conducting research as their conditions are similar to space or other planets.

      For example other analogues include Mars 500, ESA Caves, NEEMO etc

    • Photo: Columbus Flight Directors

      Columbus Flight Directors answered on 14 Oct 2015:

      Simon: Hey WardellsAstronauts!

      We plan and execute activities on ISS to meet ESA Human SpaceFlight Utilisation Objectives. So our work is completely linked to ESA ; )!

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