Professor Nick Caplan, Professor of Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University

To boldly go where no human has gone before: addressing the health implications of travelling to Mars

In the six decades since Yuri Gagarin first ventured into space, significant advances have been made in human spaceflight. There has now been a continuous human presence in space for 20 years on the International Space Station. Spacefaring nations are now looking at how our species can venture further out into the expanse of space, with plans to return to the Moon and to step foot on the Red Planet for the first time.

Space travel presents a number of health risks to the human body: brittle bones, weakened muscles, cardiovascular adaptations and exposure to space radiation. In this lecture, Professor Caplan will discuss his research into maintaining the health and fitness of astronauts. He will explore the work he is currently leading, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, in simulated spaceflight environments such as the Zero-G plane to help develop the next generation of exercise countermeasures for the Moon and Mars.

Professor Nick Caplan is Head of Department in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation at Northumbria University. His research interests are in the development of exercise countermeasures for reducing spinal "anti-gravity" muscle deconditioning experienced by astronauts and terrestrial healthcare populations.

Refreshments will be available from 6pm with the lecture 6.30pm - 7.30pm.

To register your attendance, please complete the form below. For queries email nu.events@northumbria.ac.uk.