Why Am I Taller?: What Happens to an Astronaut's Body in Space PDF
Preview Why Am I Taller?: What Happens to an Astronaut's Body in Space
Why Am I Taller? What Happens to an Astronaut’s Body in Space Dr. Dave Williams, Astronaut, and Elizabeth Howell, PhD Contents Praise for the Authors’ Books Dedication Preface Chapter 1: The Adaptation Advantage Chapter 2: Flying Blind Chapter 3: Striking a Balance Chapter 4: Food for Thought Chapter 5: The Space-Time Continuum Chapter 6: Are We There Yet? Chapter 7: Working Like an Insect Chapter 8: Skin, Hooves and Nails Chapter 9: Interplanetary Protection Chapter 10: Touching the Moon Chapter 11: Reversible Aging Chapter 12: Seeking Resistance Chapter 13: Bare Bones Chapter 14: Where’s Up? Chapter 15: Tricorders and Holodecks Chapter 16: Exploring Beyond Warp drive or hyperdrive Wormholes Multigenerational voyages Acknowledgments About the Authors Notes Index Copyright Praise for the Authors’ Books Leadership Moments from NASA — Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howell “This is a fascinating read, extracting leadership lessons from many people who were on the front lines at NASA. There is a lot of history here, and from that, one hopes, some guidance for the future.” — Mike Griffin, former NASA Administrator and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering “Spaceflight is a demanding and unforgiving environment and flying humans in space takes tremendous leadership skills to be successful. This book is a must-have resource and guide for anyone studying and wanting to improve their leadership skills, even in fields outside of human spaceflight.” — Bill Gerstenmaier, Vice President of Mission Assurance at SpaceX Canadarm and Collaboration — Elizabeth Howell, foreword by Dave Williams “Be sure to read Canadarm and Collaboration for a fascinating look at Canada’s evolving space program and its past, present and possible future.” — Universe Today “Illustrates how the country has maintained a human spaceflight program for several decades through a combination of technological specialization — Canadarm and its successors — and collaboration with the United States.” — The Space Review Defying Limits — Dave Williams “Williams is at his best when describing astronaut training, from the high-altitude chamber meant to help would-be astronauts recognize . . . oxygen deficiency, to . . . an aircraft fondly known as the ‘vomit comet.’ Space may be where astronauts ‘defy limits,’ but Williams’s memoir reveals an astronaut’s most important work takes place with feet firmly on the ground.” — Washington Post “An inspirational tale of a remarkable Canadian doctor, astronaut, space walker, aquanaut, CEO and loving father who turned failure into astounding accomplishments in space and on the ground. A fabulous example of how to live life to the fullest.” — Bob McDonald, CBC’s chief science correspondent and host of Quirks & Quarks Dedication In memory of Charles A. Berry, MD “The Astronauts’ Doctor” Preface “Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever.” — Konstantin Tsiolkovsky As the golden rays of the slowly setting sun emerge over the horizon, the hint of darkness grows. The twinkling bright light of Venus that has captured the imagination of stargazers throughout history appears in the ever-deepening dark blue above. Commonly referred to as the evening star, it is the prelude to the wonder of the night sky and the many constellations that fascinate us, just as they did the early astronomers. In far northern or southern regions, some may be lucky enough to see the magic of the aurora dancing in the heavens. This spectacular ever-changing vista of lights was thought by some ancient societies to represent the forces of good and evil dragons, their fire battling on high. Others felt that the shifting curtain of lights represented lost loved ones trying to communicate with friends and relatives back on Earth. The sense of awe and wonder invoked by the darkness above has touched onlookers’ spirits for millennia, a reminder of the fragility of our shared human existence in the vast infinite void of space. Throughout history, looking up at the night sky has inspired deep curiosity about what may be out there. Those feelings were a major force that indelibly shaped my future. Growing up in what was one of the most remarkable decades of exploration in history, I was a typical child of the ’60s. Virtually every waking hour was spent outdoors, especially in the summertime. My earliest recollections go back to when I was five or six years old, when my friends and I would lie on our backs enveloped by the smell of fresh grass and gaze upward, mesmerized by the stars above, challenging each other to identify the few constellations we knew. These were the early days of space exploration and there were few human-made satellites to be seen. When we spotted them as small, moving, faint lights, our imagination immediately made us wonder if they were UFOs, alien spacecraft coming to visit our planet — a popular topic of comic books at that time. Little did I realize then that my childhood dreams of exploring space and the undersea world would one day come true. Given what appeared to be an impossible path to become an astronaut, exploring the oceans seemed a more achievable goal and I was fortunate to learn to scuba dive when I was 12. The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau was a popular TV series at the time and every week I vicariously participated in the exploits of Cousteau’s team aboard the Calypso. Over time, my passion for diving grew into a broader desire to understand how the human body adapted to living underwater in undersea habitats. Similarly, my interest in spaceflight, inspired by the NASA missions of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts, made me wonder about the remarkable ability of humans to thrive in such different worlds — the frontiers of space and the ocean. That quest for knowledge took me to McGill University on a 12-year journey that included studying comparative physiology and neuroscience, as an undergraduate and in graduate school, then going on to medical school. When I responded to the Canadian Space Agency’s call in 1992 for applicants to the second group of astronauts to be hired in Canada, I was working as Director of the Department of Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Regional Health Centre in Toronto. Emergency medicine specialty training had become recognized throughout North America in the preceding decade, and I was proud to have finished residency training in family medicine and specialty training in emergency medicine and then join a team of experienced clinicians able to deal with any medical or surgical emergency. Many of my colleagues and I were trauma team leaders. As well, our group provided the base hospital
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