Synopsis: Awaking from suspended animation while on mission to a distant planet, a cadet reflects on the effects long-term therapeutic hypothermia had on his body. He is uneasy still uneasy with the whole concept, but glad he made the choice as he interacts with his colleagues who declined to go under. As he waits for the rest of his crewmembers to wake up, he wonders how things will be different when he return home to a planet he may no longer recognize.
Space travel has always captivated the imagination of scientists, enthusiasts, and curious minds alike, but the process is much more complicated than it is made out to be. Science fiction often overlooks the various challenges that must be overcome before mankind is ready to send human being …show more content…
One form of suspended animation is therapeutic hypothermia, where the individual’s metabolic processes slow down when the ambient temperature is significantly dropped (Griggs). However, not only have trials of this method been limited, but putting someone in an inactive state for extended periods would worsen the effects of bone loss and muscle atrophy. What makes this especially challenging is that humans do not naturally hibernate, and so muscle atrophy would occur simply from inactivity (Brower), much less microgravity. Patients that were bedridden for extended periods have been noted to have low levels of nitrogen due to lower muscle production (Source). However, bears, who naturally hibernate in the winter, have been observed to maintain their protein levels during hibernation (Niiler). They recycle their waste nitrogen and reuse it for continuous protein synthesis (Tinker). Furthermore, during hibernation, bears experience torpor, or involuntary muscle twitches, which allow their muscles to be kept in use. The solution for human hibernation may be to replicate the conditions of bears. By inject a certain drug and electrically stimulate the space traveler’s muscles (Griggs), his nitrogen levels and muscle synthesis rates may be kept in check while he experiences artificial exercise for …show more content…
The problem is that there is still much that is unknown about hibernation or the effects of microgravity on the human body. Hibernation itself is a delicate process that will be hard to emulate. In animals, hibernation is preceded with storing of food. The animals must overcome and endure through mucus buildup in the lungs, changes in brain activity, effects of obesity, etc. Multiple studies have been done on the hibernation process, but the experiments so far have been limited and performed on other non-hibernating mammals (Swain). Mammals that naturally hibernate have evolved to be able to stay in this state without the cause of long-term issues. Thus, at least in the near future, therapeutic hypothermia may only be achieved for short periods of time (Niiler). For long space missions, suspended animation may be more feasible in short sessions rather than for the duration of the flight. In between these sessions, actual exercise and checkups will likely be necessary to maintain proper body functions and prepare the astronaut for later
Space travel has always captivated the imagination of scientists, enthusiasts, and curious minds alike, but the process is much more complicated than it is made out to be. Science fiction often overlooks the various challenges that must be overcome before mankind is ready to send human being …show more content…
One form of suspended animation is therapeutic hypothermia, where the individual’s metabolic processes slow down when the ambient temperature is significantly dropped (Griggs). However, not only have trials of this method been limited, but putting someone in an inactive state for extended periods would worsen the effects of bone loss and muscle atrophy. What makes this especially challenging is that humans do not naturally hibernate, and so muscle atrophy would occur simply from inactivity (Brower), much less microgravity. Patients that were bedridden for extended periods have been noted to have low levels of nitrogen due to lower muscle production (Source). However, bears, who naturally hibernate in the winter, have been observed to maintain their protein levels during hibernation (Niiler). They recycle their waste nitrogen and reuse it for continuous protein synthesis (Tinker). Furthermore, during hibernation, bears experience torpor, or involuntary muscle twitches, which allow their muscles to be kept in use. The solution for human hibernation may be to replicate the conditions of bears. By inject a certain drug and electrically stimulate the space traveler’s muscles (Griggs), his nitrogen levels and muscle synthesis rates may be kept in check while he experiences artificial exercise for …show more content…
The problem is that there is still much that is unknown about hibernation or the effects of microgravity on the human body. Hibernation itself is a delicate process that will be hard to emulate. In animals, hibernation is preceded with storing of food. The animals must overcome and endure through mucus buildup in the lungs, changes in brain activity, effects of obesity, etc. Multiple studies have been done on the hibernation process, but the experiments so far have been limited and performed on other non-hibernating mammals (Swain). Mammals that naturally hibernate have evolved to be able to stay in this state without the cause of long-term issues. Thus, at least in the near future, therapeutic hypothermia may only be achieved for short periods of time (Niiler). For long space missions, suspended animation may be more feasible in short sessions rather than for the duration of the flight. In between these sessions, actual exercise and checkups will likely be necessary to maintain proper body functions and prepare the astronaut for later