What Drugs Are Our Astronauts On?
2 views
Skip to first unread message
Mind's High Mailinglist
Dec 6, 2009, 6:14:10 AM12/6/09
to MindsHigh
http://news.discovery.com/space/what-drugs-are-our-astronauts-on.html
Outer space, at least as we encounter it in science fiction, is
basically a drug free-for-all. If character's aren’t piloting
starships on Melange or Somec, then they're playing with dolls on Can-
D or pumping their brains full of Merge Nine, Semuta and whatever
passes for rave music 20,000 years from now.
But let's steer clear of the fictional space drugs and consider the
buffet of pharmaceuticals that real astronauts might indulge
themselves in.
Booze
While coffee continues to be readily available in space, alcohol is
more of a gray area. In 1969, Buzz Aldrin consumed communion wine on
the moon and, if you believe some of the stories, the Russian MIR
space station was practically swimming in vodka. While the ISS is
technically a dry operation, NASA came under scrutiny in 2007 amid
reports of astronauts hitting the bottle before takeoff. It's hard to
argue drinking in orbit is a good idea, but that hasn't stopped
scientists from developing space brews. According to New Scientist, a
University of Colorado student, with a little help from Coors,
actually sent a miniature brewing kit into orbit as part of her thesis
on fermentation in space. The results were reportedly rather foul, but
it's just as well. Without gravity, you can't get a good head on a
pint anyway.
Modafinil
You may know it as Provigil, Alertec, Vigicer or Modalert, but
astronauts know it as the upper they take when sleep isn't an option.
The Good Drug Guide describes it as "a memory-improving and mood-
brightening psychostimulant" that "enhances wakefulness, attention
capacity and vigilance." You have to love vigilance-enhancing
chemicals. According to a 2009 report in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal, Modafinil helps ISS crew members optimize their
performances, no matter how fatigued they feel.
Scopolamine
In order to avoid blasting forth some low-gravity vomit, astronauts
sometimes turn to ScopeDex, a speedy cocktail of Scopolamine and
Dexedrine to combat nausea. According to Xeni Jardin at BoingBoing,
good old Scopolamine is also known as "devil's breath" in Columbia,
where criminals use it to turn unsuspecting victims into temporary
zombie slaves. The CIA even experimented with the stuff as a truth
serum in the ‘60s. Perhaps the lesson here is to use zombie mind-
control drugs responsibly while in orbit.
Zoledronate
Bone-mass loss is one of the more detrimental side effects of space
travel, so it's only natural that we'd try to dream up a drug to
combat it. Enter zoledronate, normally used to prevent secondary bone
tumors in cancer patients. According to BioEd Online, the drug showed
promise a few years back as a means to slow the effects of low-gravity
bone-mass loss. NASA continues to research its potential.
Anti-moon dust pills
Lunar dust is a huge nuisance. It can damage sensitive equipment and,
if it coats your space suit during an Earthlit stroll, it can absorb
enough solar energy to bake you in your suit. The National Space
Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) has also pointed out that, if
tracked into a low-gravity lunar base, it could wind up inside human
lungs. According to Science Daily, there are no known illnesses due to
lunar dust exposure, but it has a lot in common with fresh-fractured
quartz, a highly toxic substance. The long-term effects could be quite
harmful, leading NSBRI researchers to propose the use of target drugs
to minimize the effect of tiny particles suspended in the lung.
Tranquilizers
Yes, according to a 2007 report from the Associated Press, astronauts
keep a few tranqs on hand in case anyone goes all suicidal or
psychotic in space. NASA recommends binding the individual's wrists
and ankles with duct tape (ever the space traveler's friend!),
strapping them down with a bungee cord and, if necessary, sticking
them with a tranquilizer. Sure, it hardly makes for a civilized
evening aboard ISS, but it beats someone blowing the hatch because
they think they saw a something crawling on one of the solar panels.
Finally, it's important to keep in mind that drugs have a shorter
shelf life in space. According to Space.com, NASA has observed that
the effectiveness of some drugs decreases after travel aboard the
space shuttle or the ISS. So there's another obstacle to manned deep-
space exploration.
Outer space, at least as we encounter it in science fiction, is
basically a drug free-for-all. If character's aren’t piloting
starships on Melange or Somec, then they're playing with dolls on Can-
D or pumping their brains full of Merge Nine, Semuta and whatever
passes for rave music 20,000 years from now.
But let's steer clear of the fictional space drugs and consider the
buffet of pharmaceuticals that real astronauts might indulge
themselves in.
Booze
While coffee continues to be readily available in space, alcohol is
more of a gray area. In 1969, Buzz Aldrin consumed communion wine on
the moon and, if you believe some of the stories, the Russian MIR
space station was practically swimming in vodka. While the ISS is
technically a dry operation, NASA came under scrutiny in 2007 amid
reports of astronauts hitting the bottle before takeoff. It's hard to
argue drinking in orbit is a good idea, but that hasn't stopped
scientists from developing space brews. According to New Scientist, a
University of Colorado student, with a little help from Coors,
actually sent a miniature brewing kit into orbit as part of her thesis
on fermentation in space. The results were reportedly rather foul, but
it's just as well. Without gravity, you can't get a good head on a
pint anyway.
Modafinil
You may know it as Provigil, Alertec, Vigicer or Modalert, but
astronauts know it as the upper they take when sleep isn't an option.
The Good Drug Guide describes it as "a memory-improving and mood-
brightening psychostimulant" that "enhances wakefulness, attention
capacity and vigilance." You have to love vigilance-enhancing
chemicals. According to a 2009 report in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal, Modafinil helps ISS crew members optimize their
performances, no matter how fatigued they feel.
Scopolamine
In order to avoid blasting forth some low-gravity vomit, astronauts
sometimes turn to ScopeDex, a speedy cocktail of Scopolamine and
Dexedrine to combat nausea. According to Xeni Jardin at BoingBoing,
good old Scopolamine is also known as "devil's breath" in Columbia,
where criminals use it to turn unsuspecting victims into temporary
zombie slaves. The CIA even experimented with the stuff as a truth
serum in the ‘60s. Perhaps the lesson here is to use zombie mind-
control drugs responsibly while in orbit.
Zoledronate
Bone-mass loss is one of the more detrimental side effects of space
travel, so it's only natural that we'd try to dream up a drug to
combat it. Enter zoledronate, normally used to prevent secondary bone
tumors in cancer patients. According to BioEd Online, the drug showed
promise a few years back as a means to slow the effects of low-gravity
bone-mass loss. NASA continues to research its potential.
Anti-moon dust pills
Lunar dust is a huge nuisance. It can damage sensitive equipment and,
if it coats your space suit during an Earthlit stroll, it can absorb
enough solar energy to bake you in your suit. The National Space
Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) has also pointed out that, if
tracked into a low-gravity lunar base, it could wind up inside human
lungs. According to Science Daily, there are no known illnesses due to
lunar dust exposure, but it has a lot in common with fresh-fractured
quartz, a highly toxic substance. The long-term effects could be quite
harmful, leading NSBRI researchers to propose the use of target drugs
to minimize the effect of tiny particles suspended in the lung.
Tranquilizers
Yes, according to a 2007 report from the Associated Press, astronauts
keep a few tranqs on hand in case anyone goes all suicidal or
psychotic in space. NASA recommends binding the individual's wrists
and ankles with duct tape (ever the space traveler's friend!),
strapping them down with a bungee cord and, if necessary, sticking
them with a tranquilizer. Sure, it hardly makes for a civilized
evening aboard ISS, but it beats someone blowing the hatch because
they think they saw a something crawling on one of the solar panels.
Finally, it's important to keep in mind that drugs have a shorter
shelf life in space. According to Space.com, NASA has observed that
the effectiveness of some drugs decreases after travel aboard the
space shuttle or the ISS. So there's another obstacle to manned deep-
space exploration.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages