From Puebla to Space: The Mexican Space Helmet That Revolutionized Space Technology

Space exploration is one of humanity's great adventures, but also a source of important benefits for everyday life. Many of the technological advances we use every day stem from space research and development, such as satellites, GPS, the Internet, cell phones, microwaves, digital cameras, and solar panels.

One of these space developments that promises to have a major impact on society is the space helmet designed by a team of researchers from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (BUAP), led by eminent physiologist Dr. Enrique Soto Aguibar. Dr Vladimir Alexandrov Vasilevich and MV Lomonosov with researchers from Moscow State University. A space helmet is a device that helps astronauts when they lose their balance when they are in a microgravity environment and find it difficult to focus their eyes because their vestibular apparatus is not working properly.

The vestibular apparatus is a set of sensory organs located in the inner ear that allows us to perceive the movement and orientation of our body in space. When we are in normal gravity, the vestibular apparatus helps maintain postural stability, motor coordination, and vision. However, when we are in orbit in space and in microgravity, the vestibular apparatus gets distracted and sends wrong signals to the brain, causing dizziness, nausea, vertigo and loss of spatial awareness.

To solve this problem, BUAP researchers have developed a helmet with angular acceleration sensors that record the movements of the astronaut's head and send electrical current into the brain through electrodes attached to the skull to correct the situation. contexts. The device has already been patented in the United States and could be used in applications outside of space, helping older adults maintain their balance and thus avoid falls that could cause serious damage and could even cost them their lives.

This development is an example of the value of space exploration in improving the quality of life of people on Earth. Furthermore, it is an example of Mexico's contribution to space technology and the value of international cooperation in space development. BUAP researchers have studied the vestibular system for more than 30 years and have worked with Russian scientists to translate their basic research into space technology applications. At least one astronaut is expected to wear a space helmet on the International Space Station this year.

The BUAP space helmet is a source of pride for Mexico and an opportunity to increase interest in space science and technology among a new generation. It is an invitation to think about the benefits that space has to offer us and to support initiatives that seek to explore and harness it for the well-being of humanity.

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