Aeropause

Last updated March 06, 2019

Aeropause is the region in which the functional effects of the atmosphere on man and craft begin to cease.

Background

In the 1950s, there were discussions between the U. S. Air Force School of Medicine Aviation and the Lovelace Foundation regarding how to support the efforts to accomplish manned travel in the upper atmosphere. A research plan was developed that encompassed the aeromedical, aeronautical, astrophysical, and biological aspects that were deemed vital to manned travel in the upper atmosphere. At San Antonio, Texas in November 1951 a symposium was held with a focus aimed at forecasting the future research needed for manned flight that approached the upper limits of the atmosphere. At the symposium, the presentations and discussions focused on 4 major disciplines that comprised the areas of astrophysics, aeronautical engineering, radiobiology, and aviation medicine. [1] [2]

The Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) is a private contract research organization founded after WWII in Albuquerque, New Mexico by two physicians, William Randolph Lovelace I and his nephew, surgeon William Randolph Lovelace II. LRRI originally performed not-for-profit biomedical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of respiratory disease. The organization expanded with military grants into the research and development of CBRNe, setting up a lab inside Kirtland Air Force Base, preclinical contract research for drug development, clinical trials and in 1998, the study of mental illness by providing neuroimaging and big data analysis with machine learning.

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that employs the principles of physics and chemistry "to ascertain the nature of the astronomical objects, rather than their positions or motions in space". Among the objects studied are the Sun, other stars, galaxies, extrasolar planets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background. Emissions from these objects are examined across all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists apply concepts and methods from many disciplines of physics, including mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics.

Radiobiology is a field of clinical and basic medical sciences that involves the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things, especially health effects of radiation. Ionizing radiation is generally harmful and potentially lethal to living things but can have health benefits in radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer and thyrotoxicosis. Its most common impact is the induction of cancer with a latent period of years or decades after exposure. High doses can cause visually dramatic radiation burns, and/or rapid fatality through acute radiation syndrome. Controlled doses are used for medical imaging and radiotherapy.

The Aeropause

At the time when the term aeropause became relevant to the pursuits of mankind into the upper regions of Earth’s atmosphere, there did not exist a precise description for the word. The judgement of experts in the various fields was solicited and input was sought to define the term aeropause. [1] The terms from aeromedical and aeronautical disciplines along with terms from geophysics, astrophysics, and radiobiology were not sufficient to depict this region of the atmosphere where human endeavors sought to venture and explore. The current terms in use were limited and insufficient. The terms available and that came under consideration were aerosphere, aeropause, and astronautics. [3] According to Clayton S. White, the expression aeropause is a coined word first spoken by Dr. Konrad Buettner of the Department of Space Medicine at Randolph Field during a conference. [1] Again, referring to White: "aerosphere was visualized as that region in which flight was possible currently. The aeropause was the region just above this, to be different yesterday, today, and tomorrow, as progress in aviation ensued". [1] [4] [5]

Astronautics is the theory and practice of navigation beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Konrad Johannes Karl Büttner, or Buettner was a German-American meteorologist, bioclimatologist and university professor.

Heinz Haber, Department of Space Medicine at Randolph Field, an expert in space medicine sought a more functional definition and said the: "aeropause should be defined as that region in which the functional effects of the atmosphere on man and craft begin to cease". [1] [6] The aeronautical engineer defined the aeropause as those areas of the atmosphere where the physiological necessities of the aircrew became the limiting factors for the design of aircraft and supporting equipment. [1] [7] [8] [9]

Heinz Haber was a German physicist and science writer who primarily became famous for his TV programs and books about physics and environmental subjects. His lucid style of explaining hard science has frequently been imitated by later popular science presenters in Germany.

Space medicine is the practice of medicine on astronauts in outer space whereas astronautical hygiene is the application of science and technology to the prevention or control of exposure to the hazards that may cause astronaut ill health. Both these sciences work together to ensure that astronauts work in a safe environment. The main objective is to discover how well and for how long people can survive the extreme conditions in space, and how fast they can adapt to the Earth's environment after returning from their voyage. Medical consequences such as possible blindness and bone loss have been associated with human spaceflight.

Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose.

The study of the aeropause requires a blend of several disciplines from the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Important fields necessary for research that involves the aeropause include aviation medicine, geophysics, astronomy, astrophysics, aeronautical engineering, biophysics, and radiobiology. [6]

Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent conditions to which aircrews are particularly susceptible, applies medical knowledge to the human factors in aviation and is thus a critical component of aviation safety. A military practitioner of aviation medicine may be called a flight surgeon and a civilian practitioner is an aviation medical examiner. One of the biggest differences between the military and civilian flight doctors is the military flight surgeon's requirement to log flight hours.

Geophysics is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and composition; its dynamics and their surface expression in plate tectonics, the generation of magmas, volcanism and rock formation. However, modern geophysics organizations use a broader definition that includes the water cycle including snow and ice; fluid dynamics of the oceans and the atmosphere; electricity and magnetism in the ionosphere and magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial relations; and analogous problems associated with the Moon and other planets.

Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It applies mathematics, physics, and chemistry in an effort to explain the origin of those objects and phenomena and their evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and comets; the phenomena also includes supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation. More generally, all phenomena that originate outside Earth's atmosphere are within the purview of astronomy. A related but distinct subject is physical cosmology, which is the study of the Universe as a whole.

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Natural science is a branch of science concerned with the description, prediction, and understanding of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatability of findings are used to try to ensure the validity of scientific advances.

A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered.

Aerospace is the human effort in science, engineering and business to fly in the atmosphere of Earth (aeronautics) and surrounding space (astronautics). Aerospace organizations research, design, manufacture, operate, or maintain aircraft or spacecraft. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications.

Atmospheric sciences are the study of the Earth's atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Climatology is the study of atmospheric changes that define average climates and their change over time, due to both natural and anthropogenic climate variability. Aeronomy is the study of the upper layers of the atmosphere, where dissociation and ionization are important. Atmospheric science has been extended to the field of planetary science and the study of the atmospheres of the planets of the solar system.

Robert Rowe Gilruth was an American aerospace engineer and an aviation/space pioneer who was the first director of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center, later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

Space environment is a branch of astronautics, aerospace engineering and space physics that seeks to understand and address conditions existing in space that affect the design and operation of spacecraft. A related subject, space weather, deals with dynamic processes in the solar-terrestrial system that can give rise to effects on spacecraft, but that can also affect the atmosphere, ionosphere and geomagnetic field, giving rise to several other kinds of effects on human technologies.

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Hubertus Strughold was a German-born physiologist and prominent medical researcher. Beginning in 1935 he served as chief of aeromedical research for the Luftwaffe, holding this position throughout World War II. In 1947 he was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip and held a series of high-ranking medical positions with both the US Air Force and NASA.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is an executive and bureaucratic space agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for the nation's public and civil space programme and for aeronautics and aerospace research. Its mission statement and objective is to conduct peaceful research in space technology and promote the technology for socio-economic uplift of the country. SUPARCO is a bilateral organisation of China National Space Administration as noted in their web page. Established in its modern form on 16 September 1961 by an executive order of President of Pakistan, it is headquartered in Karachi, Sindh Province of Pakistan. Part of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of Pakistan Armed Forces, which is currently headquartered at the Chakalala Military District under the control of the PAF; the space programme recorded number of pioneering accomplishments in space flight during the initial years of its establishment.

The 311th Human Systems Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was stationed at Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, Texas.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department, is an autonomous and independent institution tasked with providing weather forecasts and public warnings concerning weather for protection, safety and general information. Apart from meteorology, it is also involved in monitoring as well as investigating weather phenomenons, astronomical events, hydrology and research in astrophysics, climate changes and studies on aeronautical engineering, renewable energy resources across various parts of the country. Headquartered in Islamabad, it has offices and research facilities in all provinces and territories of the country. Mr. Muhammad Riaz is the current Director-General of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Paul Sabatier University is a French university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It is one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse.

The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medical specialists, scientists, flight nurses, physiologists, and researchers from all over the world

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John E. Pickering was a pioneer in the field of radiobiology, aviation medicine and space medicine and a Colonel in the United States Air Force. He spent much of his career in the Department of Radiobiology, Air University, School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Pickering was involved with the first tests involving nuclear powered aircraft. Pickering co-wrote President John F. Kennedy’s last official speech before the fateful trip to Dallas, Texas in 1963. Colonel Pickering was a founding member and director of the Health Physics Society, the author of textbooks and many scientific papers.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 Benson Jr, Otis Otto., & White, Clayton Samuel. (Eds.). (1952). Physics and Medicine of the Upper Atmosphere: A Study of the Aeropause. University of New Mexico Press.
↑ Armstrong, H. G. (1961). The atmosphere. Aerospace Medicine. HG Armstrong, editor. Baltimore. The Williams & Wilkins Co.
↑ Gantz, K. F. (Ed.). (1959). Man in space: the United States Air Force program for developing the spacecraft crew. Duell, Sloan and Pearce.
↑ Editor. (19 November 1951). Science: The Unfriendly Aeropause. Time. New York.
↑ Strughold, Hubertus. (1954). Atmospheric space equivalence. Journal of Aviation Medicine. 25(4): 420-424.
1 2 Buettner, K. J., & Haber, H. (1952). The aeropause. Science. 115: 656-657.
↑ Strughold, H. (1956). The US Air Force experimental sealed cabin. Journal of Aviation Medicine. (27): 50-52.
↑ Editor. (2003). Aeropause. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms. 6E.
↑ Editor. (2005). Aeropause. An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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[Benson-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Benson Jr, Otis Otto., & White, Clayton Samuel. (Eds.). (1952). Physics and Medicine of the Upper Atmosphere: A Study of the Aeropause. University of New Mexico Press.

[2] Armstrong, H. G. (1961). The atmosphere. Aerospace Medicine. HG Armstrong, editor. Baltimore. The Williams & Wilkins Co.

[3] Gantz, K. F. (Ed.). (1959). Man in space: the United States Air Force program for developing the spacecraft crew. Duell, Sloan and Pearce.

[4] Editor. (19 November 1951). Science: The Unfriendly Aeropause. Time. New York.

[5] Strughold, Hubertus. (1954). Atmospheric space equivalence. Journal of Aviation Medicine. 25(4): 420-424.

[Buettner-6] 1 2 Buettner, K. J., & Haber, H. (1952). The aeropause. Science. 115: 656-657.

[7] Strughold, H. (1956). The US Air Force experimental sealed cabin. Journal of Aviation Medicine. (27): 50-52.

[8] Editor. (2003). Aeropause. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms. 6E.

[9] Editor. (2005). Aeropause. An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Aeropause

Contents

Background

The Aeropause

Related Research Articles

References