CNES projects library

September 19, 2016

Cardiospace

In 2016, the Cardiospace device has been launched on China’s TianGong 2 orbital module to monitor its crew’s cardiovascular systems.

CNES and its medical partners have been studying the impact of weightlessness on the human cardiovascular system for many years, notably with the Cardiolab and Cardiomed devices on the International Space Station (ISS). In september 2016, a new device called Cardiospace has beeb be sent aloft on the Chinese TianGong 2 orbital module. Cardiospace focuses chiefly on the effects of microgravity on micro- and macro-circulation, measured using a Doppler laser and ultrasound scanner.

The Cardiospace device was developed under a French-Chinese agreement, with CNES responsible for development and qualification of the system delivered in March 2014 to the China Astronaut Center (ACC). Research teams at Angers and Tours university hospitals provided scientific support during development and, along with their Chinese counterparts, will use medical data collected.