Space Doc
By
Brooke Beard
I
traveleds across the country
News of him spread around and
to NASA Ames Research Center.
eventually he stumbled upon
His
for
someone who needed him. For
slowly
the next few years he worked
although
on fixing medical problems
he has no plan. He arrived
caused by space travel. Him
with no job and a new born
and his wife moved into a
baby and knocked on the door.
community of houseboats soon
n 1962 NASA launched what would be one of the
most
dream
of
working
important the
space
agency
flights in American history. camecoming Not
only
was
this
true,
flight
instrumental in paving the way for future space flight, but it was a crucial moment
“Unfortunately, none of these Ralph Pelligra. countermeasures completely After seeing counteracts these effects and of John Glenn’s course now, we’re looking at 2 first orbitals, year long, 3 year long flights. straight out of And it can be more of an issue.” residency, he in the life of Dr.
after. The lifestyle suited
space?
important
involving a subject remaining
them well. A community of
question to consider is, even
in a horizontal position for
freethinkers and unique style.
if there are some negative
a week, continuing to live
With
aspects,
necessary?
normally, Eating, sleeping,
was
Do we need to explore space
working, to ensure that the
research
more than we have already?
downward
using new ideas. Things never
The first thoughts that Dr.
main contributor to proper
before thought of. Being the
Pelligra and his colleagues
digestion.
this
freethinking
attitude,
Dr
able
conduct
and
only
scientists with
the
effects of being and
more
general
effects
on
theories
many going
around as to if space
flight/
travel was safe. Currently has
ended
NASA
They
the
concluded
gravity, body
body, had
wasn’t
the effects of
no r
the
was
able
to
perform
at
maximum
efficiency. With stories of
i pt ada who is
they
pull
that even without
ng
the
nd it ion s.”
human
the
h basically a wit
son per
weightless
ng i l
it
l ma
deal
to
de a
first
is
“you ’re
to
Pelligra
Another
to al m the t r hese abno
shuttle program and passed
co
the
Challenger
and
similar
disasters l o o m i n g overhead,
it
may seem a bit frightening
to
imagine space travel. And an had, involved the lack of
on the project to private
even worse, less well known, gravity effecting digestion
companies who are opening up
thought to consider is the in a weightless environment.
space flight to the public.
negative effects on the body. If there wasn’t gravity to
The question on everyone’s
Mostly,
astronauts
return
osteoporosis,
ocular
move things down, could we mind,
Is if it is safe
with eat in space? With a couple
for the everyday person to
degeneration and a variety of colleagues, Dr Pelligra
be launched up into outer
of other forms of the body conducted
2
an
experiment
wearing out at an alarming
regular person in a diseased
didn’t
rate. It may comfort you to
environment”
(Pelligra).
resources or facilities to
know,
that
His ability to come up with
work out the initial bugs.
were
mainly
by
unique solutions is crucial
So
astronauts living in space
in situations pertaining new
interest in people going to
for years. “As it turned out,
information. With his distinct
space for short amounts of
the human body and the human
knowledge he was able to come
time, and there’s a long list
mind are so flexible that
up with resolutions such as
of people willing to pay the
they not only adapted to this
the
pressurized
50,000 dollars down payment
strange environment, but they
suit which prevented blood
just waiting for it to happen.
were able to function. Not
from rushing out of the head,
And it will happen any time
only function, but function
causing an astronaut to faint.
now” (Pelligra). With so many
superbly.”
these
effects
suffered
(Pelligra)
G-Suit,
Since
the
a
have
now
the
shuttle
people
end,
the
there’s
looking
a
initial
renewed
forward
to
human body isn’t the problem
program’s
private
being able to pay to go into
at all.
companies had been working
space, they’re not thinking
what we call countermeasures
to
about
that they do in space to
flights
Allowing
Pelligra continues, “NASA is
prevent those kind of effects”
the general public to pay
setting most of the ground
(Pelligra), was enacted to
large sums of money to be
rules
help as much as possible.
launched into space. “They
stage. But down the road,
“A whole program of
Dr. Pelligra is crucial to these studies because “The difference between say a regular
doc
and
a
space
doc
is
that
a
regular doc is dealing with
a
diseased
person,
in one way or another, in regular environment, while a space doc is dealing with a
get
commercial enacted.
space
it
the
for
raises
consequences.
safety
at
this
ethical
hunger and poverty are right
e x p l o r a t i o n .
instance,
outside our door? It’s a
This is all far in the
I
valid question, and one not
future, so what about right
don’t care about the risks,
to be taken lightly. While
now?
here’s a check x number of
those things are extremely
program and no astronauts
dollars, I want to go up.
important, space exploration
to treat, Dr. Pelligra also
It’s
is
are
works as a family physician
we
helping future generations
in Sausalito. After years
people
survive without knowing it.
of having to come up with
to possibly harm themselves
When the sun explodes, an
creative
even if we aren’t paying
inevitable fate for every
unknown
taxes to fund the program
star, earth will no longer
left
at a government facility.
be in existence, let alone
to
The
is
habitable. The human race
most
the
needs a backup plan. NASA,
Including his second job.
shuttle program, and other
specifically
like
When visiting him at his
types
travel,
Ralph need to stay to help
houseboat in Sausalito he
nobody’s sure what NASA will
us to understand problems.
graciously welcomed us in.
do. Is it even necessary?
Without
the
valuable
Soon after we began setting
Why
knowledge
we’ve
obtained
up, his phone rang and for
and
from research at NASA, we
the next 20 minutes he spoke
dangerous, when
would be considerably behind
on the phone with a patient,
an
interesting
question. if
a
For
millionaire
my
responsibility.”
(Pelligra). continue
says
Why
to
allow
future
of
questionable.
of
would
NASA
Without
space
support
something
far
away
so
equally
so.
We
people
and
disconnected
from
space
Without
a
shuttle
solutions problems,
with think
the
for
he
tendency
creatively
everything
is
in
else.
going over symptoms. As I
recreating
not
civilian doctor, he was drawn
listened,
that
natural to earth, the effects
into the space program. Even
solutions
will be much different than
after
anything
valuable
his
I
noticed
suggested
were quite abnormal, and not
conditions
a
regular
doctor
countless
of
contributions
to
generally
will ever see. Identifying
NASA,
hear from a typical family
the cause, and coming up with
thought twice about leaving.
doctor. He is more in tune
a solution is something that
He views NASA as his home and
with the body than a regular
is unique to Dr. Pelligra.
couldn’t
doctor, due to the nature
Dr. Pelligra was well suited
without it. He jokes with
of his position at nasa. As
for this position given his
his colleagues that the last
a medical monitor, he views
extensive knowledge of the
thing he’ll see at NASA will
problems never before seen,
human body and its mechanics.
be the ceiling as they wheel
caused by simulations done
Although he was originally
him
in a lab. Since they are
focusing
such a special individual.
what
you
would
on
becoming
a
Dr
years
out.
Pelligra
imagine
An
hasn’t
his
exit
life
fitting
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Works Cited Beard, Tina. Personal interview. 11 March 2016. Cohan, Malcolm. Personal in terview. 26 April 2016. Pelligra, Ralph. Personal interview. 29 March 2016. ---. Personal interview. 8 April 2016. Reschke, Millard F.. Neuroscience in Space. New York. Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 2008 Print. Roberts, Jason. How Astronauts are Af fected by Space Exploration. NASA official. 21 August. 2013. Web. 20 April. 2016.
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