Space station science key to Canadian astronaut’s mission

LONGUEUIL, Que. — When Canadian astronaut David Saint Jacques boards the International Space Station in November 2018, he’ll be involved in groundbreaking experiments on how the body’s immune and vascular systems function in space.

The Quebec City native said Wednesday the work he’ll do during his six-month mission will have benefits on Earth as well.

“It’s very important for us to always pick studies that, yes, help space flight, but also they must have some impact for people on Earth,” Saint-Jacques told a news conference that brought together scientists and other space experts at the Canadian Space Agency, south of Montreal.

While in orbit, Saint-Jacques, 47, will be wearing a so-called “smart shirt” that monitors an astronaut’s vital signs.

Jean-François Roy, a Montreal-area scientist who helped develop the technology, said the bio-monitor will be worn at all times, even while the astronaut is sleeping.

“They don’t have to hook up to a wall or specific place in the space station,” Roy said in an interview.

“They can just wear the smart shirt and do everything else, so we monitor the heart, respiration, the oxygen in the blood, the blood pressure, the temperature — everything that is required to really analyze the astronauts.”

On Earth, the device has the potential to monitor the health of Canadians in remote communities who have limited access to medical care.

Saint-Jacques also will test a new instrument known as a bioanalyzer that will perform near real-time analyses of blood.

“This blood tester works on a finger prick, a drop of blood is all you need,” explained Ian D’Souza, a scientist with an aerospace company in Ontario.

The bio-analyzer could also have applications on Earth because a test can be done immediately in a doctor’s office, without having the sample sent to a lab.

Two new experiments were also announced, including one that will investigate and monitor the immune systems of astronauts during long-duration missions on the space station.

An experiment on vascular aging will study the impact of weightlessness, nutrition, physical activity and radiation on the cardiovascular system.