61st Annual Meeting of the German Society for Aerospace Medicine (DGLRM)

This year's annual conference of the German Society of Aerospace Medicine (DGLRM) opened today at DLR in Cologne: In addition to scientific sessions on topics such as the influence of extreme environmental conditions on humans, sleep in aerospace medicine and countermeasures for aerospace medicine, there will be numerous advanced training lectures on, among other things, news from ophthalmology, travel vaccinations or military aviation medicine. The poster session in the DLR's :envihab on October 19 kicked off the event, with young scientists presenting their fields of work on 51 posters to conference participants and the poster jury.

Opening by the Congress President Professor Dr. Jens Jordan

The official opening on Friday morning was given by Congress President Professor Dr. Jens Jordan, Director of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. He emphasized the importance of this top level and diverse conference for aerospace medicine. The leading clinical and scientific experts make a significant contribution to health and safety in civil and military aerospace, and the DLR campus opens up a wide range of opportunities: "The bundled expertise in aerospace medicine, in the direct vicinity of Cologne-Bonn Airport, enables close integration of basic research, technology development and medical application in aerospace medicine and beyond." Jordan also emphasized the opportunities that the 61st DGLRM Annual Conference offers to science and society: "Let's use the new findings for a healthy and sustainable life in space and on Earth."

Importance of aerospace for Cologne as a business location

In addition to the conference guests, Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker addressed a special greeting to the space radiation measuring dummy Helga, a phantom for measuring radiation, which flew around the moon with its "colleague" on the Artemis I mission. Henriette Reker also emphasized the importance of aerospace for Cologne as a business location. The city of Cologne has always been characterized by curiosity and a desire for the unknown. As a child, she even wanted to be an astronaut herself and was therefore all the more pleased that aerospace and medicine in particular were important areas of Cologne's excellent research location.

Klaus Hamacher, Deputy Chairman of the DLR Executive Board, was also delighted that the DLR campus had been chosen to host the conference: "In recent years, a center of excellence for aerospace medicine has been established here that is unique in Europe. This center consists of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine with its :envihab research facility, the Bundeswehr Center for Aerospace Medicine and the European Astronaut Center and therefore offers a particularly suitable setting for this event."

In her video message, the Federal Government Coordinator for German Aerospace, Dr. Anna Christmann, MP, emphasized that the work at the interface of cutting-edge technologies and humans not only opens up new horizons in the field of aerospace, but also amazing solutions for social challenges. "Aerospace medicine makes valuable contributions to the promotion of healthy ageing and opens up opportunities for the economy through innovative technologies and research approaches. In your field of research, central challenges of medicine such as prevention, individualization and remote care are addressed."

In his welcoming address, the Deputy Surgeon General and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Center for Aerospace Medicine, Oberstarzt Dr Jörg Ruff, referred to the importance of the cooperation between the Air Force Center for Aerospace Medicine and the DLR: "The campus is characterized by the internationally leading expertise located here and the unique infrastructure for civil and military aerospace medicine as an outstanding center of excellence for aerospace medicine throughout Europe."

In his closing address, the President of the DGLRM, Professor Dr. Dr. Oliver Ullrich, expressed his gratitude for the great cooperation and the exciting conference program. He also emphasized that civil and military aerospace medicine is facing new challenges and opportunities: "Space medicine will enter a new era in this decade, which will be characterized on the one hand by the extreme challenges of exploration missions and on the other by private space travel in low earth orbit. The major challenges and the high level of specialization are supported by clear, common interests and goals: our mobility, innovation and progress, our security. Common goals enable cooperation across disciplines, institutions and countries. [...] A scientific conference is above all a space for encounters. Because nothing can replace personal, collegial exchange, looking beyond one's own horizon."

Lecture on the DLR experiment MARE on the Artemis I mission

Dr. Karel Marsalek presented the preparation and flight of the two phantoms Helga and Zohar in a lecture on the DLR experiment MARE on the Artemis I mission, for which the radiation measurement phantom Helga was present as a representative. As radiation exposure is one of the key medical challenges of astronautical space travel, space medicine must develop effective measures to protect people in space. The MARE project carried out real pioneering work in this area as part of the Artemis I moon mission, particularly with a focus on future female moon astronauts.

Under the title "Opportunity", John McFall, who was the first person with a physical disability to be selected as an astronaut candidate, gave a moving speech about his life and the challenges and opportunities that kept coming his way. John McFall lost his lower right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19. His great willingness to accept challenges and make the best of them helped him to develop both athletically and academically: He studied medicine and represented Great Britain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as a Paralympic sprinter – winning bronze.