MORGAN: IMAGINE YOUR FEET
FLOATING OFF THE GROUND.
>> YOU ARE JUST OUT THERE.
IT IS BETTER THAN PETER PAN.
MORGAN ZERO GRAVITY IS SOMETHING
: MOST OF US WILL NEVER
EXPERIENCE.
BUT RECENTLY, A GROUP OF
RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
WENT WEIGHTLESS TO TEST A THEORY
THAT COULD CHANGE A LOT HERE ON
EARTH.
>> THERE ARE MANY SCENARIOS
WHERE DRIVE BLOOD STRATEGIC
RESERVE WOULD MAKE A GREAT
IMPACT FOR THE UNITED STATES.
MORGAN: DOCTOR MICHAEL MENZE IS
A PROFESSOR IN THE BIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT.
HE STUDIES HOW PRESERVING CELLS
AND OTHER PRODUCTS CAN IMPROVE
HUMAN HEALTH CARE.
HIS INTEREST WAS SPARKED YEARS
EARLIER, WHEN HE DISCOVERED THE
MAGIC OF SEA MONKEYS.
>> I WAS FASCINATED HOW IT COULD
DRY OUT COMPLETELY AND COME BACK
TO LIFE THE MOMENT IT IS EXPOSED
TO WATER.
MORGAN: HE WONDERED IF BLOOD
COULD DO THE SAME.
>> CONSIDERING IT HAS TO BE
COOLED IN A REFRIGERATOR AND WE
CANNOT USE IT LONGER THAN 42
DAYS.
IF IT CAN DRY OUT AND SURVIVE,
WHY CAN’T WE JUST DRY OUT RED
BLOOD CELLS AND STORE THEM.
MORGAN MENZE SAYS THE IDEA
: INTRIGUED EVERYONE FROM THE
U.S. MILITARY TO NASA.
>> IF YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF
ASTRONAUTS AND EVERYONE GETTING
ANY MET -- GETTING ANEMIC AND
YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE
IT BLOOD BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS
THE SAME PROBLEM.
MORGAN: TO DEVELOP A TESTABLE
THEORY, HE TEAMED UP WITH THE
ONLY PROFESSOR ON CAMPUS WITH A
SPACESUIT IN HIS OFFICE.
>> I STUDIED A LOT OF DIFFERENT
THINGS ABOUT HOW THIS -- HOW THE
HEART AND CIRCULATION AND
SOMETIMES WITH GRAVITY AND
SOMETIMES WITHOUT.
MORGAN GEORGE PANTALOS HAD
: TESTED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IN
WEIGHTLESS ENVIRONMENTS BEFORE.
>> YOU ARE GOING TO STICK YOUR
HANDS THROUGH HERE LIKE IT IS
WORKING IN THE GLOVE BOX.
MORGAN: SO HE CREATED THIS
GLOVE-BOX TO PRACTICE
RE-HYDRATING BLOOD IN A
SPACE-LIKE SETTING.
HE SHOWED ME HOW IT WORKS.
>> YOU KNEW YOU WERE IN ZERO-G,
SO IT’S TIME TO GET TO WORK
AGAIN.
MORGAN THE RESEARCHERS FLEW ON A
: PLANE THAT PERFORMS SPECIAL
MANEUVERS TO SIMULATE
WEIGHTLESSNESS.
EACH MANEUVER LASTED 15 TO 20
SECONDS, STUDENTS HAD TO WORK
FAST RE-HYDRATING THE BLOOD.
AND IN THE END, THEIR RESULTS
SEEM PROMISING.
>> WE DID NOT SEE ANY
DIFFERENCES, AT LEAST WITH THE
SMALL-SCALE EXPERIMENT BETWEEN
RED BLOOD CELLS THAT WERE
HYDRATED AT ONE G OR SIMULATED
ZERO GRAVITY.
SO THAT LOOKS GOOD.
MORGAN AND THAT MEANS, THE
: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE COULD
ONE DAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
KEEPING ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE
SAFER, LONGER.
>> IF IT IS MANAGED CORRECTLY,
THERE SHOULDN’T BE A SHORTAGE OF
BLOOD AT ANY TIME.
SO THAT CO
