Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Dr. David Saint-Jacques is taking part in a made-in-Ottawa experiment on bone marrow health during his six-month mission on the International Space Station.
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Dr. David Saint-Jacques is taking part in a made-in-Ottawa experiment on bone marrow health during his six-month mission on the International Space Station.
The study, led by Dr. Guy Trudel, is called MARROW, and will provide world-first insights into how space travel affects the bone marrow, which produces blood cells. These findings will inform longer space missions, and may also help patients back on Earth who spend weeks in bed recovering from illness.
“Aboard the International Space Station, I will be participating in hundreds of science experiments on behalf of researchers from around the world,” said Dr. Saint-Jacques. “I will conduct Canadian experiments which focus on health sciences, like MARROW. As a doctor, I have a strong interest for that type of research that has concrete impacts on the lives of Canadians.”
Dr. Saint-Jacques is one of 14 astronauts who signed up to be part of the MARROW study. Breath and blood samples are taken over the course of their six-month mission in space and in the year after they return to Earth. The goal is to understand how living in space affects their bone marrow health and how it recovers upon their return.
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