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18th November 2022

UoM joins forces with Ottawa Hospital Research Institute for astronaut blood research studies

The study on blood and haemoglobin profiling of human astronauts from the Polaris Dawn mission is led by Professor Joseph Borg and his team, whilst the full investigation is coordinated and led by Professor Guy Trudel from OHRI and the University of Ottawa.

Professor Borg is also a panellist at the AIBC conference held today at the Hilton Malta, where he discussed the space science ecosystem.

The University of Malta is collaborating with Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) to participate and conduct a series of investigations on blood samples obtained from crewmembers of the Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to launch to orbit no earlier than March 2023 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

All astronauts return from space with anaemia. Recent literature and research conducted on human blood revealed red blood cell death was increased during space flight and microgravity.

The collaboration between the University of Malta and OHRI will implement novel, cutting-edge technologies to uncover key mechanisms of spaceflight-related anaemia. The study on blood and haemoglobin profiling of human astronauts is led by Professor Joseph Borg and his team for the Malta side whilst the full investigation is coordinated and led by Professor Guy Trudel from OHRI and the University of Ottawa. The studies form part of a commercial mission by the Polaris Program, which consists of three human spaceflight missions.

About the Polaris Program and Polaris Dawn, The Polaris Program is a first-of-its-kind effort to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities while continuing to raise funds and awareness for important causes here on Earth. The program will consist of up to three human spaceflight missions that will demonstrate new technologies, conduct extensive research, and ultimately culminate in the first flight of SpaceX’s Starship with humans on board. All missions will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, an accomplished pilot and astronaut who led Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit that helped raise over $240 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

Polaris Dawn is an important first mission as part of this effort, continuing to raise awareness and money for St. Jude in addition to advancing healthcare access and connectivity to disconnected communities around the world. Polaris Dawn endeavors to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown, attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk, conduct extensive research to further our understanding of human health on Earth and during future long-duration spaceflights, and test Starlink’s laser-based communications in space. To learn more about the Polaris Program, visit www.PolarisProgram.com and follow along on Twitter (@PolarisProgram) and Instagram (@PolarisProgram).