NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates were announced in September, following a highly competitive selection process involving more than 8,000 applicants. After completing their training, the new astronauts will join the agency’s active corps, conducting research in orbit and advancing NASA’s deep space exploration goals. But how will they stay healthy as they rocket up into space — and back down to Earth? Below, we outline the health implications of space travel, along with several initiatives currently underway to keep astronauts healthier.
Anti-Gravity Wellness: The Health Implications of Going to Space
For more than half a century, NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) has studied what happens to the human body in space. Understanding the health implications of space travel helps keep astronauts safe and healthy throughout their missions. It also has implications for patient care on Earth.
Physical Health Implications of Going to Space
Spending weeks or months in orbit can contribute to minor problems like back pain, vision changes, and muscle atrophy. However, it can also have more serious effects, including the following:
- Exposure to space radiation: People on Earth are exposed to minor levels of radiation every day; however, we are largely shielded from radiation by Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. In space, astronauts have much less protection. They’re exposed to radiation particles trapped in Earth’s magnetic field, as well as particles from the Sun and potentially harmful cosmic rays. This ionizing radiation exposure can increase cancer risk, damage the central nervous system, and cause other long-term health effects.
- Gravity’s impact on bone density: Earth’s gravitational pull affects every part of the human body. But what happens when humans venture into zero gravity? NASA research shows that weight-bearing bones lose up to 1.5% of their mineral density per month during spaceflight. This bone density loss often requires rehabilitation and may not be fully reversible.
Mental Health Implications of Going to Space
Physical issues aside, spending a long time in space can be an isolating, frustrating experience, even for the most seasoned astronauts. An extended stay onboard the space station means living in a tightly confined environment with only a few other people, many of whom hail from different cultures and backgrounds. Some astronauts face boredom, homesickness, or the frustration of missing out on important family events back on Earth. To study the behavioral effects of space travel, NASA encourages astronauts to log their feelings and moods in journals.
Making Long- and Short-Term Space Travel Healthier
Astronauts undergo rigorous physical and mental testing before leaving and upon returning to Earth. For example, functional task testing helps detect any changes to balance control, while fine motor skill testing detects changes in the astronauts’ ability to interact with simple devices. However, experts are also invested in finding ways to preserve the health and well-being of astronauts. For example, to help with sleep disruptions onboard the space station, NASA employs special lighting. NASA also implements a shielding and monitoring strategy to mitigate the health risks associated with space radiation exposure.
Other experts, like those at the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine, work on the ground. UCF is home to a unique Space Medicine program, with experts working quickly to innovate as humans prepare for longer space missions. For example, UCF researchers are exploring how factors such as microgravity, radiation, and isolation impact the human body in space. UCF is also translating that knowledge into “diagnostics, treatment, and disease prevention for patients on Earth.” The sooner experts can understand how extreme environments impact human health, the sooner we can develop strategies to make our ever-changing planet more hospitable.
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From bone density loss to sleep issues, the health implications of going to space impact everyone differently. Fortunately, researchers at NASA, UCF, and other institutions are working to make life in space — and life on Earth — safer and healthier.
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