[ INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC ]
NASA's new set of experiments called CIPHER
is the most complicated Human Research Program project ever undertaken in space.
CIPHER, which stands for the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research,
integrates 14 multi-disciplinary investigations and examines multiple astronauts
across different mission durations over the course of many years.
The goal is to understand everything about how our bodies respond to extended periods in space.
This information is crucial for the next generation of space exploration
that takes us to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
CIPHER is possible thanks to collaboration between teams of NASA and international partner engineers, scientists, and astronauts.
For Nichole Schwanbeck, CIPHER project manager, this is one of the greatest achievements:
“The cooperation between our partners and the integration of data from multiple studies
is what makes CIPHER a unique and groundbreaking investigation,
helping us push the boundaries of human spaceflight"
The concept for CIPHER emerged after Scott Kelly's 2015 one-year mission in space.
On this mission, he participated in the Twins Study, which evaluated Scott and his identical twin brother Mark
while they lived in different environments for nearly a year, as well as other selected research.
The results revealed clues to the potential impact long term space missions could have on a human body.
But to find conclusive answers to their most pressing questions,
scientists needed more data and an integrated approach.
This is where CIPHER comes in.
The project aims to address five of the major hazards of human spaceflight:
radiation, isolation and confinement, distance from Earth, microgravity, and hostile or closed environments.
The study will evaluate how these hazards can affect the human body,
including bones and joints, the cardiovascular system, brain and behavior, vision, and more.
It will then go a step further, examining how changes in these different systems of the body may affect each other over time.
Nichole Schwanbeck explains: "The goals are to look at these systems independently,
but also with an integrated approach to see how changes in one system
could affect changes in the other systems in the body and whether or not those changes plateau or get better or worse over time."
The study also hopes to gain insights into long-term effects of life in space.
Does the human body adapt to space in new and unexpected ways?
And are these changes permanent or do they subside after returning to Earth?
Answering these questions can help scientists keep astronauts safe, healthy, and productive
on their journey to the stars, while providing invaluable information
that can lead to technical advancement and medical breakthroughs for those here on Earth.
CIPHER is an ambitious and exciting venture to a new frontier of understanding
that will help to unlock the next generation of space travel.