DLR - The German Space Agency
Insights of space medicine for the benefit of the patient The German Institute for Space Medicine (Deutsches Institut für Luft- und Raumfahrtmedizin, DLR) addresses medical and psychological issues in space travel and conducts basic research in medicine, psychology, biology, and radiation biology.
This includes:
- Investigations into hazards to health and performance caused by equipment, environmental and organic factors; - supply of methods and criteria for the evaluation of stress in man/machine systems;
- research into the effects of space missions on humans, including issues of gravity and radiation biology;
- basic research under exploitation of the special conditions and research opportunities in space.
The research activities are complemented by contract investigations for government agencies and the industry as well as by the support for external and internal scientists with activities of the MUSC (Microgravity User Support Centre), a joint facility of the Institute for Space Medicine, the Institute for Space Simulation, and the Institute for Material Research of the DRL.
State-of-the-art test facilities, measuring equipment, and laboratories are available for these activities, including a centrifuge facility for research on the effects of acceleration, a facility for the simulation of positive and negative pressure, a simulation facility for the investigation into the effects of time zone flights and shift work, a powerful NMR (4.7 Tesla), and facilities for the simulation of weightlessness, vacuum, and radiation for studies on microorganisms.
Here the foundation for the Lower Body Negative Pressure Device, an essential of crewed spaceflights, was laid more than 30 years ago.
In the context of the institute's activities, special attention is paid to issues of technology transfer. And this is how the cooperation with the Weyergans High Care AG was established, under the assistance of the IHK-Aachen. Experiences had already been made with negative pressure treatments and negative pressure massages by Weyergans AG. In contrast to the conventional LBNPD, which is designed to generate a continuous, permanent negative pressure, Weyergans contributed knowledge and patents in the rhythmic application of alternating positive and negative pressure waves.
Further reading: LBNPD at NASA
- research into the effects of space missions on humans, including issues of gravity and radiation biology;
- basic research under exploitation of the special conditions and research opportunities in space.
The research activities are complemented by contract investigations for government agencies and the industry as well as by the support for external and internal scientists with activities of the MUSC (Microgravity User Support Centre), a joint facility of the Institute for Space Medicine, the Institute for Space Simulation, and the Institute for Material Research of the DRL.
State-of-the-art test facilities, measuring equipment, and laboratories are available for these activities, including a centrifuge facility for research on the effects of acceleration, a facility for the simulation of positive and negative pressure, a simulation facility for the investigation into the effects of time zone flights and shift work, a powerful NMR (4.7 Tesla), and facilities for the simulation of weightlessness, vacuum, and radiation for studies on microorganisms.
Here the foundation for the Lower Body Negative Pressure Device, an essential of crewed spaceflights, was laid more than 30 years ago.
In the context of the institute's activities, special attention is paid to issues of technology transfer. And this is how the cooperation with the Weyergans High Care AG was established, under the assistance of the IHK-Aachen. Experiences had already been made with negative pressure treatments and negative pressure massages by Weyergans AG. In contrast to the conventional LBNPD, which is designed to generate a continuous, permanent negative pressure, Weyergans contributed knowledge and patents in the rhythmic application of alternating positive and negative pressure waves.
Further reading: LBNPD at NASA
