http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-spacebound-bacteria-earthbound-remedies.html
Everyone remembers Apollo 13
(With the exception of one person who sat behind me in class while we watched it. During the suspenseful final scene where it is not clear whether or not the astronauts have survived, he leaned forward and whispered, frantically, in my ear: "So, you've seen this movie before...DO THEY MAKE IT!?")
And we all remember how everything that could go wrong went wrong in that mission, including when one of the astronauts (Fred Haise) got sick as a dog while in orbit in a crippled spaceship.
Well, scientists have been studying that same pathogen!
So, not only does spaceflight in general pay off in unexpected ways, but even mistakes and mishaps can lead to interesting conclusions.
Now, the relationship between Apollo 13 and these modern studies is only in the strain of bacteria. Not much actual data was gathered on Haise's sickness as far as I know.
So why did I bring it up?
Because I never get tired of telling people that story about the guy who sat behind me in class!
Everyone remembers Apollo 13
(With the exception of one person who sat behind me in class while we watched it. During the suspenseful final scene where it is not clear whether or not the astronauts have survived, he leaned forward and whispered, frantically, in my ear: "So, you've seen this movie before...DO THEY MAKE IT!?")
And we all remember how everything that could go wrong went wrong in that mission, including when one of the astronauts (Fred Haise) got sick as a dog while in orbit in a crippled spaceship.
Well, scientists have been studying that same pathogen!
Scientists studying the bacterium aboard the Shuttle hope to unlock the mysteries of how disease-causing agents work. They believe the research can lead to advanced vaccines and therapies to better fight infections.
So, not only does spaceflight in general pay off in unexpected ways, but even mistakes and mishaps can lead to interesting conclusions.
Now, the relationship between Apollo 13 and these modern studies is only in the strain of bacteria. Not much actual data was gathered on Haise's sickness as far as I know.
So why did I bring it up?
Because I never get tired of telling people that story about the guy who sat behind me in class!