A DIRECT CALORIMETRY SYSTEM WHEREBY METABOLIC HEAT RELEASES OF ANIMALS CAN BE MEASURED IN ORBITAL LABORATORIES

IF A PRACTICAL DIRECT CALORIMETER SYSTEM WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF METABOLIC HEAT RELEASES IN ANIMALS IN ORBITAL LABORATORIES, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY SUCH PROCESSES AS 1) CHANGES IN BONE MINERAL AND MUSCLE STATUS (AS A RESULT OF WEIGHTLESSNESS) AND 2) CHANGES IN THE IMMUNESYSTEM (AS A RESULT OF STRESS AND RADIATION FORCE FIELDS) INTERMS OF THE CORRESPONDING METABOLIC CHANGES. IN ORDER TO PERFORM SUCH MEASUREMENTS, IT WOULD BE NECESSARYTO DEVELOP A CALORIMETER SYSTEM THAT CAN OPERATE IN A ZERO GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS FOR LONGER PERIODSOF TIME (OF THE ORDER OF A FEW WEEKS). THIS REQUIREMENT MEANS THAT IN ADDITION TO SUPPLYING FOOD TO THE ANIMALS, METHODS OF URINE AND FECES REMOVAL MUST BE DEVELOPED. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM CONSISTS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF A ZERO-GRAVITY DIRECT METABOLIC CALORIMETER SYSTEM. GEOSCIENCE IS AN R & D FIRM WITH A 24 YEAR BACKGROUND IN HEAT TRANSFER, FLUID FLOW, BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYAND CALORIMETRY. IT HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO PAST NASA ZERO-GRAVITY R & D PROGRAMS.