(Conference) SPACE SCIENCE AND HIGH-ALTITUDE HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
Abstract
Chile is a beautiful natural laboratory of extreme environmental conditions (high altitude, dry and hot desert, warm coast, etc.). For example, some parts of the harsh northern desert are like some Martian landscapes, so prototype rovers are tested regularly in these regions before they are sent to Mars. The northern region is also the ideal place to observe the universe. The clear skies, controlled light pollution, and good transparency make the north of Chile one of the best sites in the world to access the universe, particularly for IR and optical wavelengths. In addition, some of the most significant astronomical observatories in the world are in this region, such as the Extremely Large Telescope.Moreover, high-altitude sites such as the Chajnantor summit are ideal places for doing astronomy at longer wavelengths, so projects such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array are working on that site. The Chilean scientific community and the government are now taking the next step- the Chilean Space Program. This initiative seeks to install some space monitoring facilities across Chile. One station will be in the Antofagasta region. This initiative is led by the Minister of Science and the Chilean Air Force. Chile has the world’s third-longest border, at 6,339 kilometers, which is primarily flanked by the Cordillera de los Andes, which has a mean elevation of 4,000 meters and a maximum elevation of 6,800 meters. As a result, accessing the edges of Chile is generally difficult. For instance, border control is difficult, and the deployment and-or preparation of army personnel to this environment requires a thorough understanding of the human body under these extremely harsh conditions. Studies performed 100 years ago defined the effect of altitude on the health of the people and today they are used to understand deep space. Furthermore, projects like ALMA and many mining facilities in Chile are located at high altitudes where harsh conditions necessitate a thorough understanding of health issues. Our workshop seeks to bring experts from all over the world to these two common topics- space science and high-altitude physiology research, including mountain medicine in Chile. We hope that this helps the Chilean scientists establish collaborations with experts from all over the world, particularly in space science and high-altitude physiology research, where the Chilean community is in its early stages of development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 29, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310226
Entities
People
- Maximiliano Moyano
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force