Though NASA's shuttle program is on hold, Scott Trappe, director of Ball State's Human Performance Laboratory, will continue his research by traveling to Russia.
Since the mid-1990s, Trappe and his team have been researching the effects that long space missions have on muscle tissue. They had been studying astronauts from NASA facilities in Houston.
Because of the Columbia tragedy earlier this year, the research team must now travel to the Star City Flight Complex outside of Moscow.
The only other way to the International Space Station is through the Russian-launched Soyuz spacecraft.
"Given the circumstances on why we had to go to Russia, I was very happy to make the extra effort," Trappe said. "It was very exciting."
Trappe was joined in Russia by David Costill, former director of HPL who had done similar research with NASA in 1996, and Philip Gallagher, an HPL researcher.
"What happened to the Columbia flight was very devastating," Trappe said.
Trappe's research is done in a series of ground-based studies during the period before and after the astronauts are in space, he said.
The Ball State team is researching the muscle loss and strength waste that astronauts experience while in space.
Other researchers are trying to develop suitable exercise equipment for astronauts to bring into space because they cannot bring weights, Trappe said.
"When an astronaut experiences muscle loss it impedes on their work," Trappe said. "The loss of strength experienced can be very dangerous."
Trappe has seen astronauts after their flight who have experienced up to 40 percent muscle loss.
The Ball State team will return to Moscow in late October when the current astronauts at the International Space Station return. It will continue to visit Russia every six months until the space shuttle flies again.
Trappe expects that NASA will be running properly again sometime in 2004.
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