ESA develops artificial bone to ensure safety of astronauts during medical emergencies

In the list of artificial measures being taken to support astronauts on long-duration missions, scientists have added another one-- artificial bone. The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on the development of bioprinting techniques, which, according to it, would provide astronauts access to the ‘spare parts’ required for bone or skin grafts. The agency even shared a picture of an artificial bone sample that would eventually serve as emergency space medicine.

3D bioprinting would tackle challenging conditions of spaceflight

It is evident that staying in space for a considerable amount of time leads to loss of bone density, which makes astronauts prone to fractures. By developing artificial bones, scientists are aiming to make 3D bioprinting a practical tool for emergency medical situations for astronauts on the Moon and eventually Mars. ESA says that 3D bioprinting could help meet the challenging conditions of spaceflight and would soon have practical applications on Earth. 

Interestingly, this method of artificial bioproduction can even provide astronauts with complete internal organs. "Or, treating a burn often involves a graft of skin taken from a patient’s body – manageable on Earth with full hospital care but riskier in space, as the secondary damage may not heal easily", the agency said in a statement. The success of this technology would be significant because astronauts themselves can print skin or bone, using a nutrient-rich ’bio-ink’ of human blood plasma, in case of a mishap.

Meanwhile, the European agency is working on many other experiments concerned with future humans endeavours to the Moon. Recently, it revealed the concept of a device that would extract breathable oxygen from the dust on the lunar surface. ESA has even selected a team of four companies that have been given the responsibility for developing the device. The team has a tough challenge ahead as their device will have to extract 50-100 grams of oxygen from the lunar soil with a target of 70% extraction from the sample. 

Image: Twitter/@ESAOperations