NASA investigating deep-space hibernation technology

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Manned missions to deep space present numerous challenges. In addition to the sheer amount of food, water and air necessary to keep a crew alive for months (or years) at a time, there's also the question of keeping them busy for the entirety of a long-duration flight.

Exercise is certainly an option, but the necessary equipment will take up space and be a drain on power.

In addition, they'll need room to move around, places to sleep, eat, work, and relax during their down time.

Otherwise, they will be at risk of succumbing to feelings of claustrophobia, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, among other things.

NASA has been looking at a few options and one proposed solution is to put these crews into an induced state of hypothermia resulting in torpor, a kind of hibernation.

Rather than being awake for months or years on end, astronauts could enter a state of deep sleep at the beginning of their mission and then wake up near the end.

This way, they would arrive refreshed and ready to work, rather than haggard and maybe even insane.

If this is starting to sound familiar, it's probably because the concept has been explored extensively by science fiction.

Though it goes by different names, cryosleep, reefersleep, cryostasis, etc., the notion of space explorers preserving their bodies through cryogenic suspension has been touched upon by numerous sci-fi authors, movies and franchises.

But NASA's plan is a little different than what you might remember from 2001: A Space Odyssey or Aliens.

Artist’s concept for Mars-ready habitat. 

Credit: SpaceWorks

Instead of astronauts stepping into a tube and having their temperature lowered, torpor would be induced via the RhinoChill, a device that uses invasive tubes to shoot cooling liquid up the nose and into the base of the brain.

To research the technology, NASA has teamed up with SpaceWorks, an Atlanta-based aerospace company that is investigating procedures for putting space crews into hibernation.

During this year's International Astronomical Congress (IAC) 2014, which took place from Sept. 29th to Oct. 3rd in Toronto, representatives from SpaceWorks shared their vision.

Artist’s concept of “sleeping to Mars”. Credit: SpaceWorks Enterprising

According to the company, inducing torpor in a crew of astronauts would eliminate the need for accommodations like galleys, exercise equipment, and large living quarters.

Instead, robots could electrically stimulate key muscle groups and intravenously deliver sustenance to ensure the health and well being of the astronauts while in transit.

As Dr. Bradford, President of SpaceWorks Enterprises Inc., stated:
"We have completed the initial evaluation of our concept which demonstrated significant benefits against non-torpor Mars mission approaches and established the medical plausibility of torpor."

"We have expanded our team and put together a development plan that we are in the process of executing."

"While the longer term goal of enabling access to Mars is our ultimate objective, we have a number of near-term, commercial applications for this technology that we will develop along the way."

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NASA SUOMI NPP: Data Mitigating aviation related volcanic hazards

This image from SUOMI NPP satellite shows ash trajectories over Iceland on May 6, 2010, created by the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR). 

Credit: STAR

SUOMI NPP, a joint NOAA/NASA satellite is one of several satellites providing valuable information to aviators about volcanic hazards.

An aviation "orange" alert was posted on August 18, 2014, for Bárðarbunga, a stratovolcano located under the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland, indicating the "volcano shows heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption."

Much of the information leading to that alert came from satellites including Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP).

While the Vatnajökull ice cap and its seismic activity has been gradually increasing over the past seven years, these recent events in Iceland are reminiscent of the destructive aftermath from the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

The Eyjafjallajökull eruption caused a six-day travel ban over the controlled airspace of many European countries.

Data from NOAA satellites were used in the volcanic ash detection and property retrieval algorithm to create products to be used by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC), including the London VAAC.

The data given to the air traffic control organizations provided the information they needed to make the decision to divert and ground more than 4,000 flights.

The ban was in effect to address the possibility of volcanic ash ejection causing damage to aircraft engines and risking human life.

This was the largest air-traffic shut down since World War II, costing $1.7 billion in losses for the airline industry, as well as innumerable losses within freight imports and exports; tourism industries and the access to fresh food and essential goods.

The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this view of the eruption Iceland's Bárðarbunga Volcano on Sept. 5, 2014. 

The red outline indicates heat. 

A plume of gas and steam is blowing east. 

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz/NASA MODIS Rapid Response

Recently, Mike Pavolonis, is a NOAA scientist from the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) presented his work on How Weather Satellites are Mitigating Aviation-related Volcanic Hazards during a NOAA event.

"Only 10 percent of the world's volcanoes are routinely monitored from the ground, making satellites the only frequently available tool that can reliably identify volcanic eruptions anywhere in the world," Pavolonis said.

Advanced analysis of data from polar orbiting and geostationary satellites reduces the probability of a disastrous and/or costly aircraft encounter with volcanic ash and helps to minimize the cost associated with avoiding volcanic ash.

He highlighted how volcanic ash can severely impact air travel, melting in a plane engine's combustion chamber and even shutting the engine down completely.

This occurred in June 1982, when a British Airways B747 aircraft flew into a volcanic ash cloud from Mount Galunggung (Indonesia) and lost power in all four engines.

They dropped from 37,000 feet to 12,000 feet before three engines were restarted and the plane was able to make an emergency landing in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The pilots were unable to see the ash on their radar. Thick, billowing ash clouds from volcanoes often spread out over large areas, well beyond the erupting volcano. Aircraft close calls with volcanic ash have continued over the years.

The STAR volcanic ash algorithm takes data from satellites to create actionable information that can assist in advanced warning of volcanic eruptions and ash detection.

The addition of the VIIRS instrument aboard the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite to the STAR volcanic cloud analysis system, has proven to be vital for detecting and characterizing small scale thermal signatures and clouds associated with volcanic activity.

These thermal signals can be a precursor to an explosive eruption.

The VIIRS instrument is suited to detect the relatively unique spectral signature difference of volcanic clouds often absorb and reflect radiation as a function of wavelength in a manner that is very different from other cloud types.

Future plans include incorporating information from Suomi NPP's Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) instruments into the algorithm.

NOAA's polar satellites are critical for a variety of "nowcasting" capabilities in addition to volcanic ash including imagery to monitor storms, fog, sea ice, and other dangerous weather and environmental conditions as well as providing data for more accurate weather forecasting to secure a more 'Weather-Ready Nation' thereby saving lives and protecting property.