Doctors in Space: Dr Arian speaks with Colorado Public Radio about the joint MA-MS program to prepare the first generation of astronauts equipped with a medical degree
Aug 14, 2022Space travel is becoming a reality for a growing public.
The world’s billionaires are donning spacesuits. Celebrities who made their names pretending to explore the vast cosmos have now actually seen the curvature of Earth. Tom Cruise plans to shoot a film in space.
And all of these people letting go of the surly bonds of Earth means a higher need for an earthly necessity — doctors.
Dr. Arian Anderson, a physician who works with NASA to mitigate human medical risk in space, said with the growth of space travel, there comes a need for people aside from engineers to put on spacesuits.
“We have seen a lot of really successful missions with Blue Origin, with SpaceX and with Virgin Galactic,” Dr. Arian Anderson said. “All of a sudden you have this need for like, ‘Hey, what happens if there is a medical event in space?’ Or ‘Hey, how do we reduce the risk of our customers going to space?’”
So, the University of Colorado — which already exists a mile closer to the stars — wants to prepare the first generation of potential space doctors.
Starting in fall of 2023, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora will offer a joint MA-MS program to prepare the first generation of astronauts equipped with a medical degree.
Read the full story at CPR News >>>