Press Releases
Drs. Banerji/PBHRF present their paper
on
Possible Use of Ultra-Diluted Medicines For Health Problems During Lunar Missions
at
the Rutgers Symposium on Lunar Settlements
New Jersey, June 3, 2007: Drs. Banerji of PBHRF, Kolkata, India presented their paper on "Possible Use of Ultra-Diluted Medicines For Health Problems During Lunar Missions", here today. The Rutgers Symposium on Lunar Settlements was organized under the aegis of NASA, as a preparatory effort for provision of life support systems for the proposed Malapert Base Consortium, the lunar colonization programme expected to become habitable by 2025.
The paper, presented by Drs. P. Banerji, was based on the fact that the moon has no magnetic field, hence problems of dispersion, solubility, absorption, availability at tissue level, metabolism and excretion of drugs, including recycling problems and disposal, do exist. Thus, in such a state, and in view of the factors referred to above, the use of conventional medicines has its limitations. They stated that an alternative to conventional medicines will be ultra-diluted medicines which may help solve the problems as stated above.
What are Ultra-Diluted Medicines ?
Ultra-Diluted medicines are extremely diluted medicines which have the capability to act through nerve terminals, when placed on our tongue to execute beneficial roles in our body.
Ultra-diluted medicines are also non-toxic, with extended shelf-life, non-addictive, with negligible weight and volume, low-cost, and easily administrable. Drs. Banerji have classified ultra-diluted medicines, for use in lunar missions, into different groups according to their roles in different health problems. These classifications have been done as per their proven actions, on different health problems matched with their long experiences on different patients with similar health problems, in the earthly environment.
Following the classification, they prepared one combination medicine (PBHRF-1), which may be administered to the astronauts from a week before the start of the mission, containing Lycopodium clavatum 30c, Symphytum officinalis 200c, Berberis vulgaris 200c, Nicotiana tabacum 200c, Fluoricum Acidum 200c, Coffea arabica 200c, Ruta graveolens 6c, Calcarea Phosphorica 3X, Kali Muriaticum 3X and Ferrum Phosphoricum 3X. These medicines are incorporated in lactose globules (5 grain ~ 0.324 g), and are to be taken 3 to 4 doses in a day.
This combination medicine will prevent and alleviate different health problems in space such as:
-
'fluid shift' (stuffy nose, headache, puffy face, facial oedema),
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bone loss,
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renal stone formation,
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destruction of anti-gravity muscles,
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early motion sickness in space,
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protection from radiation,
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destruction of RBC,
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immuno-suppression (due to reduced action of lymphocytes),
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mental stress,
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insomnia, etc.
Similarly, another medicine, PBHRF-2 (a combination of Aconite napellus 200c and Crataegus oxyacantha 3X in the same dosage) may be used to prevent health problems like cardiac deconditioning during return to earth. These ultra-diluted medicines can be used easily in space as they are least affected by gravitation, radiation and thermal changes during space missions.
Malapert Base Overview
Malapert Base is being designed to house a revolving population of 300 people or more and to last for a minimum of 250 years. One third of the population will expectedly be made up of Lunar tourists and long-term Malapert residents. Efforts are on to make provisions for a comfortable warm, bright and welcoming environment for which various needs of the population will have to be addressed to.
The Malapert Base habitat structure will be built underground. This will provide protection from radiation, micrometeorites and large temperature excursions. The temperature at the surface of the Moon ranges from 280 degrees (138 degrees C) as the sun reaches its highest point in the sky to 243 below zero (-153 degrees C) during the lunar right cycle.
Conditions on the surface of the Moon are extremely inhospitable to human beings. Between the temperature extremes, a near absolute vacuum, radiation, and micrometeorites, it will be a big engineering challenge to create technology that will enable man to survive on the Moon for any length of time. However, it is going to be an engineering challenge that was partially met more than three decades ago when the Apollo astronauts used space suits on the lunar surface containing a life support system that protected them against all of these dangers.
What will the Moon look like in 20 years when the first LARGE SCALE permanent Lunar Colony begins operations?
A concept for a 300 person underground Lunar Base on Malapert Mountain near the Lunar South Pole has been drawn up by NASA. It will consist of 600 m long by 40 m wide by 10 m high Main Horizontal Tube. A Central Atrium (50 m high by 150 m in diameter), five Orthogonal tubes, and an Observation Dome. The entire structure will be built underground except for the observation Dome.
Why Malapert Mountain?
Malapert Mountain is located at 0 degrees Longitude, 86 degrees South Latitude. It is 76 miles (122 Km) from the Lunar South Pole on the Lunar near side. Malapert Mountain rises 5,000 meters above the lunar reference ellipsoid and is 8,000 m from base to the top. Due to its position near the South Pole and its height, it receives sunlight 93% of the time (full sunlight 89% of the time and partial sunlight 4% of the time). The longest period of total darkness is never more than 7 days. It has a constant view of the full disk of the Earth, which can be seen low above the horizon when looking northward. The constant line of sight view also means it can maintain continuous communications with Earth. It is in close proximity to the permanently dark South Pole craters where cryogenic temperatures and water ice can be found. It is not far from the far side, which offers complete shielding from Earth based radio interference and therefore provides prime real estate for radio astronomy operations
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