Space Medicine: Returning from a Space Mission

Conference Vault, Space Medicine
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We’re finally able to unlock the WEM24 vault and share with you what you may have missed out on in 2024.
Explore these three sessions from Edinburgh, delving into the extremes of space, altitude, and heat, and what they reveal about the limits of human performance and medicine.

Mike Barratt, NASA astronaut and physician, joins us live from quarantine following his return from the International Space Station to share the physical and psychological realities of life in orbit – and the process of reconditioning back on Earth.
From cardiovascular adaptation and radiation exposure to post-landing recovery and mission readiness, this session delivers a rare, first-hand perspective on what it takes to prepare for and return from the ultimate extreme medicine deployment.


Recorded live at WEM24, Edinburgh.

More Information

Length: 1hr 21m
Guests: Mike Barratt

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

  • Describe the physiological adaptations to microgravity, including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurovestibular changes.

  • Identify the key medical hazards of spaceflight and how they’re mitigated through training and countermeasures.

  • Outline the medical systems and procedures used to support astronaut health in orbit.

  • Explain the rehabilitation challenges following re-entry and how these insights apply to expeditionary and remote medicine.

  • Reflect on the psychological and operational parallels between space missions and extreme environments on Earth.

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