Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78)

INTRODUCTION:
Humankind first flew into space in 1961, with Yuri Gagarin. Since then, we have acquired a vast quantity of knowledge related to the body and mind of astronauts in extraterrestrial environments and its simulations on Earth. It is now well known that all cells, organs and body systems are affected when humans are exposed to the microgravity of space. This very unique environment has motivated space scientists to develop new medical devices, diagnostic methods, management and treatment of diseases, including the application of digital technology and telehealth to monitor and improve the well-being and health of astronauts.
The numerous benefits derived from this extensive space research, conducted worldwide and over many years, have not been solely applied to extraterrestrial medicine. Most of the knowledge and technologies acquired in human space exploration studies have been transferred to advance terrestrial medicine.
This Session aims to present and discuss the scientific knowledge and technological developments achieved by human space research and how these have had a positive impact on global health care on Earth, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SESSION OVERVIEW:
Gravity on Earth has played an integral role in determining the development of life over billions of years and has shaped the anatomy and physiology of all living beings, including humankind. The removal of this force when entering the microgravity of space has been shown to affect the whole body, causing numerous changes, such as a reduction in heart size and blood volume, disturbances of the neurological system, decreases in bone density and muscle mass, and impairment of the immune function. In addition, there are psychosocial aspects faced by astronauts, such as confinement and isolation, that can have detrimental effects. These psychophysiological changes can lead to undesirable health consequences. Furthermore, these alterations become even more relevant when considering the imminent increase in space tourism and longer-duration crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
The advances made in space health monitoring and care have been driven by the need to preserve human health in an austere environment, in which medical assistance or resupply from the ground is not possible. Therefore, in terms of health care and medical technology, space has become a driver of medical innovation, as the underlying research-development chain addresses the implementation of medical assistance and health care under extreme environment conditions. Nonetheless, the knowledge acquired and technologies developed for extraterrestrial missions are not restricted to monitoring and maintaining the health of astronauts. Advances achieved in space life sciences research are being translated to healthcare on Earth, particularly when considering the delivery of health care to remote locations or in natural disasters.
This Session will present several relevant topics related to the medical knowledge acquired from short- and long-term space missions, considering the required new or adapted health equipment, devices, and systems of data acquisition and transmission, as well as the use and optimization of satellite data for health care on Earth. The achievements gained from extensive research in microgravity, parabolic flights and ground-based simulations of microgravity will be discussed, and current and future digital technology systems applied to the improvement of health care on Earth and in space will be debated.
A total of eight experts, coming from different professional backgrounds and countries, will bring a very interdisciplinary and international approach to the theme being presented. The main goal of this Session is to discuss the health-related challenges of human space exploration, current and future approaches to managing astronaut clinical health and medical emergencies, and the technological achievements from the application of digital technology for the health care of space travelers, much of which has translated to health care provision on Earth, contributing to the United Nations SGDs.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:
An important outcome of this Session is to raise awareness of the significance of advances in space medicine in relation to their positive impacts on terrestrial health care. The knowledge acquired from space missions can be applied as the basis for a better understanding and more effective management of similar medical conditions on Earth.
A further Session outcome will be the provision of a comprehensive view of how medical technology developed for use in space missions can be successfully transferred to global health on Earth.
A third outcome is the motivation of further discussion focused on digital technology and data from space, highlighting how these can be safely and efficiently applied to healthcare not only considering astronauts, space tourists, and future crewed trips to the Moon or Mars, but for the improvement of health care for Earth-based populations.
The final expected outcome of this Session is clarification of the links connecting the main achievements related to human space exploration research with the United Nations SDGs, emphasizing how extraterrestrial studies contribute to these goals.