Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What does spending more than a year in space do to the human body?
Experiencing zero gravity or viewing the beautiful Earth from space for
a few days might not affect the physical health or strength of space travelers
but spending months or even a year significantly affects astronauts' physical
conditions. Crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) are tasked to
work out 2.5 hours each day in the space gym to minimize physical deterioration.
Still, their bodies don’t function in the same way as they do on the ground. For
example, without gravity on the limbs, muscle and bone mass diminish quickly in
space. Also, since blood doesn’t circulate as it does on the ground, it can
accumulate more in the head and affect body movement and sensitivity. Furthermore,
the effects on genes, eyesight, skin, and immune system are being studied. So, although
sending astronauts to and from Mars might technically be realizable soon, will
astronauts be able to survive the years of lengthy missions without gravity while
being exposed to radiation even though they have enough air, water, food, and
gym equipment?
Read the article and learn about the effects of living in space.
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