The Physiology of Recreational Space Travel
Abstract
Recreational space travel is an emerging industry that is serving a growing number of travelers. These customers enjoy a unique experience that provides unsurpassed views of the planet Earth and a thrilling introduction to weightlessness. However, space also has effects on the human body that can be uncomfortable and may pose health risks. The current wave of recreational travelers has a broader age range, lower fitness levels, less-defined health status, and far less training than professional astronauts. Commercial firms are conducting a grand experiment in human physiology. Recreational travelers will broaden our understanding of human physiology in space and may identify new limits. We are indebted to recreational travelers for advancing the commercial space industry and expanding the body of knowledge on space physiology.
Keywords
Space Tourism, Space Travel, Countermeasures, Space Physiology, Space Medicine, Space Industry.
Author Biography
Dr. Michael B. Reid
Michael B. Reid, PhD is Dean of the College of Health and Human Performance, Professor of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, and founding member of the Astraeus Space Institute at the University of Florida. Dr. Reid is best recognized for his research on the redox biology of skeletal muscle. He was a founding member of NASA’s National Space Biomedical Research Institute. As principal investigator, he led a translational research program to evaluate countermeasures for muscle weakness and fatigue during spaceflight. In parallel, Dr. Reid and his colleagues at Johnson Space Center confirmed that untrained volunteers are highly susceptible to space motion sickness (SMS). The research team showed that SMS could be induced by sequential exposure to brief bouts of microgravity and that SMS was refractory to contemporary pharmacologic countermeasures. That project directly informed the current editorial and established that Dr. Reid does not aspire to space travel.