NASA is developing a system to train astronauts to do surgical operations on each other. On long space missions, astronauts could be many months away from the nearest surgeon. They are especially concerned about bone fractures, and on a manned Mars mission, the gravity of the planet would make them more likely to occur.
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A recent international conference on germ warfare ended in anger and chaos after the United States cut off discussions about enforcing the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention.
The 1972 treaty, ratified by the United States and 143 other nations, bans the development, stockpiling and production of germ warfare agents, but there is no enforcement mechanism. We now know that the former Soviet Union continued to do secret research on bioterrorist weapons long after the treaty was ratified. The purpose of the recent conference, which was held in Geneva, was to negotiate legally binding measures to enforce compliance.
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According to a NASA study, the medical risks — both physical and psychological — of long journeys in space remain are far greater than the public has been led to believe.
After 40 years of space travel, information on stresses to the body due to space travel has not been properly analyzed. Not enough is known about the dangers of prolonged travel for humans to venture into deep space in a safe and sane manner. Part of the problem comes from ?underreporting? by astronauts about their health problems, due to the confidentiality of data between astronauts and flight surgeons.
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A 28-year-old South African internet tycoon will become the second space tourist after three out of five Russian Space and Aviation Agency departments have approved his mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2002.
The three departments have signed an agreement that would allow South African Mark Shuttleworth to visit the ISS, according to a spokesman. The other two are expected to sign within a week. ?Today Mark had his space suit fitted,? he says. The other four ISS partners – NASA, Japan, Canada and ESA (European Space Agency) ? will still have to agree to his trip.
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