Guinea pigs in space: CSA announces human health experiment on space station
CALGARY — Astronauts headed to the International Space Station in 2018 won’t only be conducting their own experiments — they’ll be part of a bigger experiment themselves.
The Canadian Space Agency and the University of Calgary announced Wednesday they are collaborating on a new experiment to study how long-duration missions impact astronauts’ brains.
Known as wayfinding, the study will examine how reduced gravitational forces affect the astronauts’ ability to find their way around.
“We’re the perfect guinea pigs for medical research,” said Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, who will head to the International Space Station for a six month mission in late 2018.