Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were supposed to stay a few days on the International Space Station, but six months have already passed
What are the risks to their physical and mental health? When astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams boarded the International Space Station (ISS) in June, they planned to spend eight days in space, but plans had to change. This Thursday, the 5th, they completed six months away from Earth and will have to wait two more to return home. Could this extended stay pose risks to the physical and mental health of NASA professionals?
Humans did not evolve to live in space, in near-zero gravity. Therefore, those who travel there require highly specialized training and careful health monitoring before, during and after space travel.
Astronauts selected for human spaceflight are considered capable of not only carrying out their assigned missions, but also handling stressful situations. This is the case for Wilmore and Williams, who flew as test pilots for the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner to the ISS. They are stranded in space due to technical problems with the capsule.
Boeing returned the empty Starliner to Earth in September, and NASA has decided that the pair will hitch a ride with a SpaceX crew on a flight scheduled for February 2025. Meanwhile, astronauts are forced to deal with the effects of prolonged exposure to radiation and microgravity. .
“I think it’s a burden, but they can handle it,” said retired German astronaut Thomas Reiter.
Reiter served two missions in space, first on Mir, a Soviet-era space station that was deorbited in 2001, and then as a flight engineer on the ISS. Williams replaced him on his first space flight.
“They are both not inexperienced, they are familiar with onboard operations. However, their last trip to the ISS was many years ago and this time [estavam] focused on a test flight, a very specific task, [com] a duration of only a few days,” Reiter said. “To find out that this has been extended, probably up to eight months, is something that I’m sure they will have to deal with.”
The impacts of space travel on health
Wilmore and Williams completed several missions for NASA and logged 178 and 322 days in space, respectively. Like all astronauts, this has already exposed them to microgravity and space radiation.
Space agencies dedicate entire departments to studying the effects of space on the human body: the German Aerospace Center (DLR), for example, operates its Envihab laboratory, near the city of Cologne.
In June 2024, the journal Nature published more than 40 studies described as “the largest compendium of data for aerospace medicine and space biology.”
One such study, called TWINS, involved ten laboratories on a mission to compare American astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year on the ISS, and his identical twin, Mark, who remained on Earth. And it is precisely this study that highlights one of the main risks of a prolonged stay in space: radiation.
“Exposure to space radiation will be the primary factor limiting astronauts’ performance or the time they can spend in space,” said Susan Bailey, a radiation biologist at Colorado State University. Bailey led TWINS research into the effects of radiation on telomeres, tiny genetic caps at the ends of human chromosomes.
“Radiation exposure is actually very harmful to our DNA,” Bailey said.
This exposure increases the cancer risk for astronauts. It also increases oxidative stress in the body.
“That’s what’s important: to save them from these really dangerous late effects and some very acute effects,” Bailey said. “We need to create countermeasures, a way to protect astronauts not only during space flight, but also if they go camping on the Moon or even Mars.”
Space agencies have specific limits on the amount of radiation astronauts can be exposed to over the course of their careers.
The tension of microgravity: from kidney stones to vision problems
Microgravity in space is another problem, which can cause bone demineralization: Astronauts lose about 1% to 1.5% of bone density for every month spent in space.
This can also lead to changes in mineral levels in the body and pose health risks. For example, increased calcium levels in the body’s excretory system, which removes waste products such as urine, can cause kidney stones.
“When they come back, they won’t be able to go on the dance floor like everyone else who has been weightless for many months,” Reiter said.
This environment can also cause changes in vision, as body fluids move toward the head and put pressure on the eyes. Prolonged pressure can lead to spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), which can impair your ability to concentrate, sometimes permanently.
Upon returning to Earth, Williams and Wilmore will undergo regular health monitoring.
They will not run out of food and water
Despite the health risks associated with space travel, the ISS fully meets the most immediate needs. “If suddenly there are two more people, they will not immediately run out of water, oxygen or food,” Reiter said, while resupply missions of food, water, oxygen and carbon filtration are regularly sent to the station. The ISS also has six bedrooms, two bathrooms and a gym.
Furthermore, psychological care is aided by the integration of astronauts into the ongoing work of the station. Wilmore and Williams engaged in scientific and support work with the other seven astronauts on the ISS.
“In terms of health, I anticipate it will be very similar to what we’ve seen with some of our six-month-old astronauts and those who have been there for a year or even a little longer,” Bailey said.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
