The event took place from 3 to 7 March, in the revamped setting of the Institute for Post-Graduate Training and Aviation and Space Medicine of Rome (IPAMAS), the First Course in Space Medicine and Human Factors, Dedicated to the scientific study of the pathophysiology and adaptability of humans to living conditions in space, thirty doctors, both civilian and military, from all over Italy participated. The course, organised under the auspices of the Health Service of the Italian Air Force Logistics Command, was born from the collaboration between IPAMAS and the Medical Department of the Pratica di Mare Air and Space Experimentation Division (DASAS).
The works were opened by the welcome message addressed to the participants by the Director of IPAMAS, the Brigadier General Ezio Fiore, who recalled how recent global geostrategic developments have made access to aerospace resources an essential condition for ensuring the country's security; at the same time, the development of the so-called space economy, a strategic opportunity for anyone wishing to invest in research and development in the aerospace sector with significant benefits for the community and the country, makes it necessary to improve knowledge and research in terms of physiopathology of the space environment, particularly in the field of “deep space exploration”.
The topics covered during the course, curated by scientific director Lieutenant Colonel Paola Verde, were manifold and complex: microgravity, hypobarism, cosmic radiation, technologies and methods of active and passive protection, even in particular conditions such as commercial flights or extravehicular activity, modifications of physiological and neurocognitive functions, atmosphere revitalisation, and the challenges of human exploration in deep space.
The course also offered an original review of the classification criteria for the medical fitness requirements for astronaut and spaceflight passenger candidates; a dedicated section delved into aspects of Space Law and the international organisations involved, while another module was dedicated to an interesting overview of bioregenerative systems for life support and food production in space. The organisation of the course benefited from the collaboration of renowned personalities from the Italian scientific world, such as Dr Gabriella Arrigo and the’Engineer Gabriele Mascetti of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the Professor Mariano Bizzarri and the Professor Laura Piccardi of Sapienza University of Rome, the Professor Felice Strollo of the IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana in Rome and the Dr Alberto Battistelli of the National Research Council (CNR), together with Officers of the Aeronautical Medical Corps with long and proven experience in the aerospace sector. To conclude the activity, the appreciated intervention of Dr Giovanni Caprara, columnist for the Corriere della Sera, with the title “Return to the Moon and then Mars: dream or necessity?”.
The course, aimed at doctors with the objective of developing knowledge relating to pathological and physiological changes in aerospace flight conditions, allowed for cultural and technical enrichment for all those professionals involved in healthcare services within the aviation sector, and is also included among the recognised training activities for obtaining the scientific update credits from ENAC necessary for maintaining authorisation to operate as an Aero Medical Examiner (AME).
The RMAS is the Italian military department qualified for the aerophysiological training of flight personnel. It organises and conducts courses ranging from initial or basic courses, which represent the first approach for flight personnel to the pathophysiology of flight, to advanced courses for already experienced personnel or personnel from external bodies. Furthermore, the Department serves as a point of reference for the national scientific community in the field of aerospace medicine. Internationally, it can boast the participation of several medical officers in international working groups on topics of great interest in the aeromedical sector, as well as the production of scientific works published in indexed journals and participation in training and updating courses abroad.
The IPAMAS, named since 2018 to the memory of Lieutenant Francesco Paolo Remotti, an A.M. medical officer who died in the Kindu massacre on 11 November 1961, is the Armed Force Body in charge of secondary education, training and professional refresher courses in the health field for all A.M. personnel. The Institute reports directly to the Health Service of the Logistic Command, under whose aegis all teaching activities are carried out. The Institute is also the only Air Force provider accredited by the National Agency for Regional Health Services (Agenas) of the Ministry of Health for Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities. In addition to the training of military rescuers and biocontainment operators, the Institute carries out many other training activities, including the basic course in Aeronautical and Space Medicine, which is also open to civilian medical officers and medical officers from other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps; the course is accredited by ENAC and recognised as a prerequisite for obtaining the Aeromedical Examiner (AME) qualification.
