Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #30997: A Heartbeat Above Earth: Studying Artery Behavior in Microgravity

How does your heart pump blood in space? That’s not just a sci-fi question—it’s a challenge scientists are tackling through the 'Artery in Microgravity – Orbit Your Thesis!' experiment, led by student researcher Matthieu Compin and supported by a collaboration between ISAE-Supaero and Politecnico di Torino. This educational project investigates how arteries behave without the tug of Earth’s gravity.

Normally, your circulatory system uses gravity to help blood flow, especially when you're upright. In microgravity, the entire system is thrown off balance. Blood shifts to the upper body, arterial walls experience different forces, and even cellular responses can change. The goal of this student-led initiative was to replicate and observe these conditions using synthetic artery models.

The setup involved transparent tubes mimicking arteries, filled with fluid simulating blood. Sensors monitored pressure, flow rate, and wall deformation. Using cameras and analytical tools, researchers observed how the simulated arteries responded over time.

Why is this important? Long-duration spaceflight affects astronauts’ cardiovascular health. Arteries can stiffen, blood pressure may change, and risks for heart-related issues increase. Understanding these changes helps design better health protocols, exercise routines, and medical interventions for astronauts.

The data is also valuable for Earth-based medicine. For example, patients with circulatory issues or bedridden individuals experience similar fluid shifts. Space research often mirrors or even pioneers what becomes clinical insight back home.

Beyond the science, this project is a celebration of student engagement in space research. Orbit Your Thesis! allows students to propose, develop, and launch experiments to the ISS—turning young scientists into real contributors to global space science.

By launching artery models into orbit, this experiment offers a literal new perspective on how the body works. It’s not just a study; it’s a pulse of inspiration for the next generation of space explorers and biomedical pioneers.

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