On Friday 6 September 2019, a team of four Eurac researchers attempted the first simulated ascent to 5,000 metres in terraXcube’s largest climate chamber, the Large Cube. A medical support crew monitored the subjects’ health while the chamber’s atmosphere gradually adapted to the rising altitude. The health data stemmed from the Large Cube’s newest addition, a brand new telemetric medical monitoring system. When the chamber had reached an altitude of 5,000 metres, the researchers started performing emergency resuscitation techniques such as chest thrusts on training mannequins. After one hour, the chamber initiated the descent, taking the researchers back to Bolzano’s natural elevation of just over 250 metres above sea level. Following a number of unmanned altitude experiments, this successful event marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the safety of its largest chamber. The Large Cube is fully operative and available for future, manned medical experiments at simulated high altitudes.
Images: © Eurac Research