An Indian team mainly comprising software developers from Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Baroda, Chennai and some other Indian locations has worked to build a database and a mobile application – EXPAND – that tracked human health data of astronauts onboard the Polaris Dawn mission of SpaceX which returned to Earth two days ago. The astronauts performed the first spacewalk in any commercial space mission. The Enhancing eXploration Platforms and Analog Definition (EXPAND) application has been designed by developers at TrialX, a clinical research and space health company headquartered in New York.
Anjali Marar spoke to Sharib Khan, CEO and Founder, TrialX. Khan is an alumnus of University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University. Excerpts from an email interview:
Q. What kind of health data of astronauts have been recorded by missions where TrialX has been involved?
Sharib Khan: The health data that is being collected is to understand the impact of space travel on human health and performance. TrialX was selected by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine, which is supporting this research and the database under its EXPAND initiative.
In the first commercial space mission which was launched in September, 2021, studies were done to assess space motion sickness, measure cognitive performance with changes in sleep patterns, perform handheld ultrasound imaging of the heart, bladder and the jugular vein along with measurements of heart rate using wearables. Genomic samples were also collected during the pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight modes.
In addition, data on the space environment such as the space capsule’s partial oxygen pressure, altitude, temperature and others, were also recorded and are stored in our database. Further, the total radiation exposure, when in space, was measured.
Since the first mission three years ago, we have supported five such space missions. The soon-to-be launched Polaris Dawn will have more than two dozen studies which will collect a variety of data sets.
Q: How are the health data of astronauts recorded?
Khan: The health data collected are mainly research study specific. Based on the kind of health data needed to be captured, data are collected using surveys completed on mobile apps, wearable devices or handheld ultrasound probes. Specimens such as blood, urine and stool may also be collected.
Q: What has been TrialX’s major contribution to Polaris Dawn?
Khan: In the Polaris Dawn mission, the crew will use many innovative wearables and devices such as a smartwatch, novel single-electrode sensor to measure heart and breathing rates, smart contact lenses with tiny micro-sensors that will measure pressure inside the astronaut’s eyes, a novel 3D ultrasound device to build three-dimensional images of the structure of the eye, a CPR training device, a fibre optic camera and a miniaturized intelligent ultrasound device to take medical-grade images being some of them.
In partnership with TRISH, our team has played a pivotal role in developing the EXPAND App. It will ensure seamless pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight health research data collection for this mission. As part of the mission, the four-member crew will conduct a wide range of experiments to collect data on various aspects of human health in space. These studies will examine environmental factors, health and hygiene, personality development, vital signs, cognitive function, vision, motion sickness, Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), space radiation, and more.
All health data, along with nearly 30 surveys, will be collected embedded in the application. This comprehensive approach is designed to provide valuable insights into how the unique conditions of space affect human health at both physiological and molecular levels.
4) Could you elaborate on the TrialX data gathering platform? Why is it unique?
The EXPAND database is one-of-a-kind. It has the flexibility to seamlessly ingest multiple types of data from different flight providers, to create a repository that can integrate information and make it easily available to researchers. It can ingest a variety of data types, including electronic health record summaries, wearable data, diagnostic images, bio-specimen analysis results, qualitative survey data and space capsule telemetry data.
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