Space Medicine Course
Space Medicine Course
Who is this for?
What's included
- Flights to and from Svalbard
- Airport transfers and local transport
- Accommodation in Longyearbyen
- Travel insurance
Space medicine from launch to landing
Learn with astronaut Mike Barratt
Hear first-hand what it’s like to live and work in orbit, and explore how crews look after their health throughout a mission.
Explore how the body adapts to space
Follow the changes astronauts experience from their first days in microgravity to readjusting to gravity after landing.
Take on the Space Case Challenge
Work through in-flight medical scenarios and consider what the crew can do with the equipment, skills and support available.
Study in the Arctic
Learn in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and explore what spaceflight and Arctic operations can teach us about preparing for isolation and working far from specialist care.
Human Health in Space
- Physical forces on the body during spaceflight
- Short- and long-term adaptation to microgravity
- In-flight illness and injury
- Behavioural health, isolation and team dynamics
- Women’s health in spaceflight
- Landing and post-flight recovery
Spaceflight Operations & Case Studies
- Spacecraft environments and habitability
- Medical kits and crew capability in orbit
- Medical considerations for spacewalks
- Space Case Challenge and partial gravity
- Commercial spaceflight and passenger health
- Training for the space medic
What space medicine teaches us about life on Earth
In orbit, medical teams have to plan for emergencies with limited equipment, specialist support far away and few options for evacuation. Explore how they prepare, and what their approach can teach us about caring for people and working in teams in remote environments on Earth.
Making decisions with limited resources
Explore how teams assess and respond to medical emergencies in space, and consider how the same principles apply when equipment, specialist advice or evacuation are hard to access on Earth.
Keeping teams healthy under pressure
Examine how isolation, confinement and disrupted sleep affect judgement, wellbeing and teamwork. Consider what mission teams can teach us about preparing for expeditions and other work in extreme environments.
Finding your place in space medicine
See how clinicians, engineers and researchers work together to keep crews healthy. Discover where your own interests or experience could fit, whether you’re exploring career options or simply curious about the field.
Provisional itinerary for 7th - 11th June 2027
An introduction to human spaceflight
Start with the forces astronauts experience during spaceflight, then explore how spacecraft design and life-support systems shape the conditions crews live and work in.
Your Teaching Faculty
Mike leads the 2027 Space Medicine Course, bringing first-hand experience of human spaceflight to teaching on crew health, medical decisions in orbit and the challenges of returning to Earth. Special guest to be confirmed.
Michael Barratt
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Study space medicine in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, an Arctic setting that brings the course themes of isolation, human performance and access to healthcare closer to home.
What past attendees say
“Very happy with the course, one of the best weeks I had in my life. Definitely worth coming from Austria to Muncaster (even though it’s a long journey). Would definitely recommend it and I am looking forward to attending more WEM courses ”
“Keep up the excellent work you are doing! I am very happy to have had the opportunity to meet you, and I am confident that our shared interests will bring us together again very soon. ”
“Thank you to the entire WEM staff, Mark, Mike & Michelle, Ewan, the whole Frost-Pennington family, and the Muncaster staff for delivering such a unique and unforgettable experience. Thank you for your immense expertise, your incredible kindness, and your generous hearts. You are all truly beautiful human beings. ”
“I would not have wanted to miss this course for anything. It was a truly unique course, made even more special by the inspiring people involved. Thank you for this fantastic experience! ”
“Thank you. I am so incredibly thankful for this opportunity to have attended. ”
“A great course that was well delivered and not full of lots of research papers but real operational experience. ”
“Cant believe how the course was mainly given by a real experience astronaut ! Amazing ”
“Thank you to all for your time. Listening to actual astronauts was so inspiring. ”
This course is designed for healthcare professionals and students who are interested in understanding how medicine is practised in extreme, remote, and high-performance environments.
It is particularly suited to those curious about aerospace medicine, human performance, extreme physiology, and the future of medical care in space and other isolated settings.
No prior experience in space or aviation medicine is required.
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