How does being in space affect a person: will we be able to travel to the stars without harming our health

Dreams of conquering space and even colonizing new planets are gradually becoming reality. But is it really safe for human health? CNN.

The Soviet Union launched the first man into space in 1961. Soon after, NASA's historic Apollo 11 mission took humans to the moon in 1969. This space race between the world's superpowers lasted for years. It launched humanity's journey to the stars.

Now, private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin have joined NASA in launching missions to the stars. We are entering a new era of exploration. space. It includes plans to return to the moon, establish bases on Mars, and expand the boundaries of human achievement beyond the Earth's atmosphere. The world cherishes hopes that one day humans will be able to live in outer space.

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In September of this year, the Polaris Dawn mission made history by reaching the highest orbit of the Earth in nearly 60 years. But what's really cool is that the crew wasn't made up of traditional astronauts.

They were civilian space explorers. They even made the first spacewalk and set a new record – 19 people in space at the same time!

Three years ago, this record was only 14 people.

Staying in space can affect your health

Astronauts' height may increase by about 3% during the first 3-4 days in space.

About 60% of space travelers experience what is called space sickness.

Scientists are focused on figuring out what's happening to our health in space. With the increase in space travel and hopes for colonization, research into what happens to our bodies is of utmost importance.

Polaris Dawn Mission Crew Health

In September, the four crew members of the Polaris Dawn mission ascended to the highest orbital levels in nearly 60 years, performing the first all-civilian spacewalk.

“About 60 percent of people who go to space suffer from motion sickness. It really hits you hard in the first few days,” said Polaris Dawn mission commander Jared Isaacman.

“I experienced a whole range of sensations: dizziness, nausea, even vomiting. That’s because of the lack of gravity,” said Anna Menan, the mission’s medical officer. “The brain physically changes during spaceflight. It shifts slightly in the skull. The fluids that surround and protect the brain expand. It’s a very harsh environment. I had a kind of mild headache. It was constant for most of the flight.”

Scott Poth, the mission's pilot, noticed changes in his vision.

“My vision started to deteriorate in the first few days, but it immediately returned to normal once I returned to Earth,” he said.

50-70% of astronauts experience vision loss after their stay on the International Space Station. Dr. Donna Roberts spent more than 20 years at NASA trying to understand
why such symptoms occur.

“We looked at MRI scans of the astronauts’ brains before they went into space. Then we looked at them for a while after they came back to Earth,” Roberts said. “The Polaris team went through tests on everything from their balance to their vision to their brain imaging. One of the unique aspects of this mission is that the astronauts went into deeper space. They had more exposure to radiation.”

According to her, at first glance, the examinations did not reveal any major health problems among the astronauts.

“We are getting closer to the point where humans will be able to live safely on a space station or even on another planet. Our research is very important. It can be used to solve some problems. Such research can lead to another giant leap for humanity,” concluded Dr. Roberts.