[FOTZeiss] Astronauts as weak as 80-year-olds in space--Study

[Glenn A. Walsh]

Study: Astronauts as weak as 80-year-olds in space:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_sci_space_weaklings

This article talks about one of the major challenges to long-duration manned missions in space.

An excerpt from article:
"Fitts bases his findings on calf muscle biopsies that his team collected on nine U.S. and Russian space station residents from 2002 to 2005. It's the first muscle study of long-flying astronauts that gets down to the cellular level, with actual biopsies conducted.
"Each astronaut spent six months aboard the orbiting lab, and submitted to a biopsy before rocketing away and immediately upon returning to Earth."

One of these astronauts is Mike Fincke, originally from the Pittsburgh suburb of Emsworth, who first flew on the International Space Station from 2004 April 21 to 2004 October 24. He credits his childhood visits to Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium as sparking his interest to become an astronaut.

More info on Mike Fincke:

http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/bio/Pghastronauts.html#fincke

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < siderostat1989 at yahoo.com >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://incline.pghfree.net >
* Public Transit:
  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >