Participate in ESA Academy’s Human Space Physiology Training Course
In brief
What is it really like to live in space? What happens to the body in microgravity? Thanks to a training course offered by ESA’s Education and Space Medicine Teams, medical and life sciences university students can find out.
In-depth
ESA’s Education Office and the Space Medicine Team invite BSc and MSc university students studying medicine, allied healthcare subjects, life, biomedical or biological sciences to apply to the Human Space Physiology Training Course 2023. The course will be held between 4 and 8 December 2023 at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in ESA’s European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), Belgium. Through face-to-face and videoconference lectures, students will discover how spaceflight represents a significant physiological challenge to the human body. Having evolved in Earth’s gravity, our bodies adapt when in microgravity. Some of these adaptations may comprise astronaut health and well-being, either in flight or upon return to Earth. As a result, these adaptations must be understood in order to inform development of effective strategies to support humans during space missions to the International Space Station and beyond.
During the five-day course, students will learn about life in space and the physiological adaptations associated with it, in addition to how a range of Earth-based analogues, such as long-term (head down) bed rest and over-wintering in Antarctica, are used to investigate some of the potential underlying mechanisms. Finally, current and some potential future approaches to mitigate the effects of the space environment on the human body will be discussed.
As part of the programme, students will work on a group project, addressing some of the major issues and challenges human spaceflight is facing. On the final day of the training course, each group will present their findings to the other participants. Topics will include: Female flyers - how can/should female astronaut health be addressed?; Bouncing babies - what could the biological effect of being born in partial gravity (e.g. the Moon) be on human development
Students participating in this training course can expect to be introduced to the following topics:
- What it’s really like to live in space
- The challenges, lessons, and successes that have led to permanent occupation of the International Space Station
- The conditions that the ISS provides to protect and support life
- How the senses perceive being ‘weightless’
- How key physiological systems respond to microgravity, what mechanisms underlie these changes, and some approaches that may be used to mitigate such effects
- How human space physiology research is performed both in space, and using Earth-based analogues
- How astronauts’ physical and mental well-being is supported through ESA’s Space Medicine Team
- Major issues and challenges current human spaceflight and future space exploration must overcome
| Day 1 | Introduction A History of Human Spaceflight The Space Environment - Outside and Inside a Space Vehicle Space Radiation and Health Risks The Global Exploration Roadmap - The Future of Human Space Exploration Introduction to Group Project |
| Day 2 | How Do Animal and Cellular Studies Help Our Understanding of Human Space Physiology? ESA Human Research Activities - ISS and Ground Analogues A Sense of Space Fundamentals of Muscle and Neuromuscular Function in Space How Space has an Impact on the Neurosensory System and the Brain |
| Day 3 | Effects of Microgravity on the Cardiovascular System Fundamentals of Bone Physiology in Space Adaptation of the Human Immune System to Extreme and Changing Environments EVA Training Medical Support of ISS Astronauts |
| Day 4 | Psychological Effects of Human Spaceflight Physical Exercise and Reconditioning in Spaceflight Space Medicine Projects at EAC Nutritional Support for Astronauts Exploration Medical Systems |
| Day 5 | Experience of an ESA Astronaut Group Project Presentation & Training Course Conclusion |
Who can apply?
In order to participate, students must fulfil the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:
- aged minimum 18 years old. ESA Academy and relevant partners will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant scientific or other space-related topics;
- be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Canada*, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia or Slovenia;
- be enrolled as a BSc or MSc student (or equivalent) in a university for the year 2023-2024.
- be studying medicine, allied healthcare subjects, life, biomedical or biological sciences.
Selected students will be required to attend the entire 5-day training course at ESEC. They will be sponsored by ESA Education to cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 300 Euros for travelling to Belgium.
Students participating in the Human Space Physiology Training Course 2023 will be evaluated based on their group work throughout the week and the final presentation. Upon completion of the training course students will receive a certificate of participation and a course transcript, allowing them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
How to apply?
- Fill in the application form;
- Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
- Upload a CV (Europass format, PDF, no images, maximum 2 pages);
- Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or an academic supervisor from your current university (if not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your reference, please ask them to send a recommendation email to tlp@esa.int before the application deadline);
- Upload a copy of academic records (PDF);
- Upload a short abstract (maximum 500 words) based on the title "How a physiological adaptation to the space environment can affect a crew member on return to earth”(PDF, no images).
All answers and documents should be in English (except academic records if not available).The deadline for applications to participate is 2 October 2023 at 23:59pm CEST.
*Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution, may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity. This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.
For more information, please contact: tlp@esa.int