Nutrition in Spaceflight and Weightlessness Models

Book excerpt: Tens of thousands of miles above Earth's atmosphere, orbiting this planet like pieces from a child's giant erector set, NASA's massive International Space Station slowly takes shape. When completed, as many as 16 countries will provide crew members for this orbiting international community. But while this will not be the first extended stay of humans in space-Skylab, Mir Space Station, and Shuttle-Mir missions all involved extended-stay periods-it will give birth to some new questions about one of space exploration's biggest concerns: providing adequate nutrition essential to good physical and mental health in space. Nutrition in Spaceflight and Weightlessness Models consolidates nutritional observations from 38 years of human spaceflight. It is a compilation of nutritional knowledge and accomplishments from the early 1970's to the recent Shuttle-MIR program. It provides basic nutritional concepts, as well as broad coverage, of the effect of space and weightlessness on nutrition status and physiology. Nutrition in Spaceflight and Weightlessness Models addresses the utility of ground-based weightlessness simulations; the role of electrolytes, calcium, protein, iron, and micronutrients in optimal nutrition; and energy utilization by space crews. The book also explores regenerative life-support and food systems for space and planetary missions; the results of basic research in metabolism that illustrate the physiological changes that occur during spaceflight; new concepts and recommendations for astronaut nutrition in future spaceflights; and, the lab capabilities of the International Space Station.