What Exactly Does Space Travel Do To Your Body?

Summary

In this Life Noggin video, the host explores the surprising and often concerning effects of space travel on the human body. From weakened bones and muscle loss to vision changes and heart adjustments, astronauts face significant health challenges in microgravity. The video highlights NASA's research, including studies on long-term missions, such as Scott Kelly’s year in space, which helps scientists understand how spaceflight affects humans and how to mitigate these risks for future missions to Mars. The video leaves viewers thinking about the feasibility and potential consequences of space travel.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Space exploration has been ongoing for over 50 years, with significant milestones like Sputnik 1, the moon landing, and the Hubble Space Telescope.
• 🌍 One of the major effects of space travel on the human body is the weakening of bones due to reduced gravity and lack of weight-bearing stress.
• 💪 In space, astronauts’ muscles, particularly in the legs and back, weaken as they aren’t used as much, despite exercise regimens.
• 👁️ Astronauts often experience vision problems, including flattening of the back of the eyeball, which is similar to conditions that can lead to vision loss on Earth.
• ❤️ The heart also undergoes changes in space, including a decrease in mass and becoming slightly more spherical due to lower blood volume.
• ⚖️ Returning astronauts can experience blood pressure drops and dizziness, as their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity.
• 🧬 The year-long mission of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother, Mark, is providing insights into the genetic effects of space travel.
• 🛸 Scientists are studying how space travel affects the human body in preparation for longer missions, like a trip to Mars.
• ⛔ Space travel can lead to an increased risk of bone fractures due to the breakdown of calcium in bones during extended space missions.
• 🪐 Understanding the health impacts of space travel is crucial for planning future missions and making space travel safer for astronauts.
• 🌑 Would you travel to Mars on a one-way trip, knowing how space affects the body? It’s an important question for future space explorers!

Q & A

What was the first artificial satellite launched into space?

The first artificial satellite launched into space was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

What significant space-related achievements have been made since Sputnik 1?

Since Sputnik 1, humans have landed a man on the moon, created the International Space Station (ISS), and launched the Hubble Space Telescope into space.

What are scientists planning for the future of space travel?

There is ongoing discussion about sending humans to Mars within the next several decades.

What happens to astronauts' bones in space?

In space, astronauts' bones weaken because they don’t have to support the same weight or face the same stresses as on Earth. This leads to a decrease in bone density and an increased risk of fractures upon returning to Earth.

How quickly can an astronaut’s bone density decrease in space?

An astronaut’s bone density can decrease by as much as 1% per month in space.

How does space travel affect astronauts’ muscles?

The lack of gravity causes astronauts to use their muscles less, particularly in their legs and back. Even with exercise, muscle volume and strength still decrease.

What vision problems can astronauts experience in space?

Astronauts may experience vision problems such as flattening of the back of the eyeball and optical abnormalities similar to those found in people with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which can lead to vision loss.

What changes occur in an astronaut's heart during space travel?

In space, an astronaut's heart can lose mass and become slightly more spherical, possibly due to a decrease in blood volume. This can lead to dizziness or fainting when they return to Earth due to a drop in blood pressure.

How did the year-long mission of Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko help scientists?

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko’s year-long mission in space provided valuable data for scientists to study the long-term effects of space travel on the human body. Additionally, because Scott Kelly has an identical twin who stayed on Earth, scientists can compare genetic changes between the two.

What are the potential long-term challenges for human space travel to Mars?

The long-term challenges for human space travel to Mars include understanding the impacts on the human body, such as bone density loss, muscle weakening, vision problems, and heart changes, and finding ways to prevent or mitigate these effects to make future space travel safer.