Cytoskeleton Markers in the Spinal Cord and Mechanoreceptors of Thick-Toed Geckos after Prolonged Space Flights

Spaceflight may cause hypogravitational motor syndrome (HMS). However, the role of the nervous system in the formation of HMS remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of space flights on the cytoskeleton of the neuronal and glial cells in the spinal cord and mechanoreceptors in the toes of thick-toed geckos (Chondrodactylus turneri GRAY, 1864). Thick-toed geckos are able to maintain attachment and natural locomotion in weightlessness. Different types of mechanoreceptors have been described in the toes of geckos. After flight, neurofilament 200 immunoreactivity in mechanoreceptors was lower than in control. In some motor neurons of flight geckos, nonspecific pathomorphological changes were observed, but they were also detected in the control. No signs of gliosis were detected after spaceflight. Cytoskeleton markers adequately reflect changes in the cells of the nervous system. We suggest that geckos’ adhesion is controlled by the nervous system. Our study revealed no significant disturbances in the morphology of the spinal cord after the prolonged space flight, supporting the hypothesis that geckos compensate the alterations, characteristic for other mammals in weightlessness, by tactile stimulation.

Analysis of changes in the state of vaginal microflora in women of reproductive age under conditions of a three-day "dry" immersion without the use of prophylaxis

Introduction. Currently, the participation of women in space flights is increasing. In this regard, questions about the influence of space factors on the state of the female body arise inevitably. Model experiments, in particular, "dry" immersion, are most convenient for studying the influence of individual factors of space flight on the organism. The aim of this work is a comparative assessment of the state of the vaginal microbiota of 6 female volunteers before and after three-day "dry" immersion.Materials and methods. Microbial samples of all volunteers were stained according to Gram with a sequential culture study in accordance with the medical technology. The species identification of microorganisms was performed by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis using an Autoflex III time-of-flight mass spectrometer with Maldi BioTyper software.To assess changes in the state of the vaginal microflora and microflora of the cervical canal, eubiotic index was used. It reflects the number of positive states of microbiota to the number of negative ones.Results. After 3 days of "dry" immersion volunteers, who had high titer of aerobic microorganisms before isolation, had significant increase of the amount of aerobic microorganisms, while the number of lactobacilli decreased. The other group of volunteers showed activation of colonization resistance of the vaginal microflora. Volunteers, who had a significant contamination with anaerobic opportunistic microflora before isolation, had reduction of the number of all anaerobes, including lactobacilli. The eubiotic index, calculated for the cervical canal, decreased after 3 days of immersion. The data obtained indicate that after 3 days of isolation, the state of the microflora has deteriorated.

Morphofunctional Changes in Peripheral Immune Organs in Space Flight and Weightlessness Modeling

Currently, there are many studies devoted to the problems of immunity in space flights. It has been proven that both short-term and long-term stay in space significantly reduces the immune function of the body. There are cases of the development of infectious diseases in astronauts during the flight, there is evidence of an increase in the activity of viruses and microorganisms that can affect the health of crew members. In the light of the upcoming expedition to Mars, it is especially important to study exactly what changes in the immune system can be triggered by prolonged stay in zero gravity and other factors of space flight and what preventive measures can help preserve the health of astronauts both during the flight itself and after its completion. The state of the immune system in space has been studied at various levels, from molecular to organ. There was a change in the morphological parameters of the immune system organs, violations of the ratio of their morpho-functional zones, and cellular composition. Various disorders in signaling pathways of differentiation, activation and death of immune system cells are shown. One of the most studied topics is the decrease in the activity of T-lymphocytes recorded by many researchers, however, even in this matter, the mechanisms of the violations occurring and their connection with the conditions of space flight have not been fully clarified. The relevance of methods for modeling microgravity conditions, such as various types of hanging, rotation on a clinostat, and immobilization is due both to their greater availability for research compared to space flights, and the importance of studying the role of various factors associated with flight in changes occurring in the human and animal bodies. This article presents an overview of publications devoted to a wide range of issues related to the state of the immune system in space flights and ground simulation conditions and attempts to combine the results of various levels of research – molecular, cellular and morphological.

Physics of a Spinning Object Cyclic Inversion at an Orbital Flight

The opening up of space flights is going on with physical discoveries. One of them was a spinning object cyclic inversion revealed on the MIR space station classified in 1985. Later, the NASA International Space Station openly showed the same effect. This physical effect was an object of stare studying by physicists and mathematicians. They developed only approximated and numerical models on the level of assumptions. The inversion of the spinning objects in the condition of free flight is the subject of gyroscope theory. The mass of the spinning object at the orbital flight generates the system of the interrelated inertial torques that results from the action of the inertial torques produced by the curvilinear motion of the object around the earth. This system of the torques acting on the spinning object at an orbital flight manifests its cyclic inversions, which is the gyroscopic effects. The theory of the gyroscopic effects describes the method of application of the system of the inertial torques, the physics of all gyroscopic effects that manifested by any rotating objects under any condition of their motions.

Prospects for Psychological Support in Interplanetary Expeditions

The article gives an overview of Russian experience in psychological support for orbital space flights. It describes procedures that currently exist and may possibly be used in upcoming manned interplanetary flights. The article also considers psychological unfavorable factors of autonomous interplanetary flights, as well as countermeasures, including promising methods of psychological support.

Meteorite hazard model for a space mission to Mars

Currently, for the world’s space agencies, the robotic exploration of Mars is one of the most important tasks. One of the necessary stages for the implementation of this mission is the development and addition of new information to the State standard “Meteoric substance, spatial distribution model”. Until now, the State Standard has been more detailed in comparison with the American analogue (developed by NASA) and the European one. The standard is a mandatory document in the design of spacecraft. It should be noted that modeling of meteor hazard at a distance from Earth to Mars is a complex problem, since the analysis of the meteor population in near-Earth space does not give a complete picture of the propagation of meteoroids along the Earth-Mars route. Moreover, the further the trajectory of the spacecraft from the Earth’s orbit is, the less the number of near-Earth meteorites becomes. That is, objects that have the same orbital parameters with small bodies crossing the Earth’s orbit. The only way to solve this problem is to build an interpolation regression model, which is based on measurements from the Earth’s surface and observations of space missions. For this purpose, the density of sporadic meteoroids was transformed from the space mission coordinate system to the ground one. This was done in order to analyze meteorite observations by the Mariner 4 and Pioneer 10 spacecrafts. The results of the work made it possible to obtain new data for the spatial distribution of meteoroids on the Earth-Mars path. According to a comparison of our data with the data on the density of space debris in the previous works the most safe for space flights are normalization conditions of distributions of the elements of the orbits of meteoric bodies P(Z, e, i) < 60.

Rutherford’s extended formula and optimization of the gravity assists beam modelling in the Solar system

Rutherford’s formula for the scattering of charged α-particles in the Coulomb field can be easily generalized to the case of gravitational scattering. The extended Rutherford formula for the gravitational scattering is presented. One of the types of the gravitational scattering in the Solar system is the gravity assist maneuvers. In this paper, an effective gravitational scattering cross-section is introduced by analogy for them and the generalized Rutherford formula for gravitational scattering is presented out when performing gravity assists. Modern methods of the ballistic design of the interplanetary space flights using gravity assist maneuvers around planets [1-3] are associated with the need to calculate a lot of trajectories (i.e. of the phase beams). For their effective use it is necessary to study the structure of non-linear flyby gravitational scattering using the Rutherford’ formula and to construct the corresponding effective modelling using according regularized phase beams. It is shown that with using of such approach, it is possible to significantly increase the efficiency of the recurrent procedure for the gravity assists chains searching for ballistic scenarios of the modern interplanetary flights.

Prospects for Creation of Autonomous Life Support Complexes Using Biological Systems for Arctic and Far North Conditions

The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis of the implemented projects of closed ecological systems and the creation on their basis of own scheme of autonomous life-support complex for the conditions of the Arctic and the Far North. Materials and methods of research. The object of the study is implemented projects of closed ecological systems. The subject of the study is the principles of configuration of such projects, their main components and the relationship between them. Research results and their analysis. The support systems created at different times, with the purpose to be used in long-duration space flights or to carry out fundamental ecological research, were analyzed. Such projects were based on the use of biological systems, which opens the possibility of their use to ensure the autonomy of infrastructure in the Arctic and Far North. The scheme of the complex planned for development is proposed. This complex allows to recycle waste products, meets human nutritional needs and produces biofuel of the third generation.

Microgravity Effects on the Matrisome

Gravity is fundamental factor determining all processes of development and vital activity on Earth. During evolution, a complex mechanism of response to gravity alterations was formed in multicellular organisms. It includes the “gravisensors” in extracellular and intracellular spaces. Inside the cells, the cytoskeleton molecules are the principal gravity-sensitive structures, and outside the cells these are extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The cooperation between the intracellular and extracellular compartments is implemented through specialized protein structures, integrins. The gravity-sensitive complex is a kind of molecular hub that coordinates the functions of various tissues and organs in the gravitational environment. The functioning of this system is of particular importance under extremal conditions, such as spaceflight microgravity. This review covers the current understanding of ECM and associated molecules as the matrisome, the features of the above components in connective tissues, and the role of the latter in the cell and tissue responses to the gravity alterations. Special attention is paid to contemporary methodological approaches to the matrisome composition analysis under real space flights and ground-based simulation of its effects on Earth.