EXPERT REVEALS WHAT AFFECTS 9 MONTHS IN SPACE HAS ON AN ASTRONAUTS EYEBALLS
After two NASA crew members were left stranded on the International Orbit Station (ISS) for several months, an expert has described how spending nine months in orbit could affect an astronaut's vision. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore embarked on an eight-day journey aboard a Boeing Starliner spaceship on June 5, 2024. Unfortunately, the mission did not go as planned, and the crew was left stranded after experiencing helium leaks and thruster malfunctions on the Starliner's first crewed voyage to the ISS. SpaceX will return the two to Earth because it was decided that returning on the Starliner would be too risky for the crew.
It has now been announced that Williams and Wilmore will begin their journey home from the ISS this month in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, after multiple delays. Many have questioned what effects the prolonged journey might have had on the two's bodies given how long they have been in space.
The impact being in space has on their bodies
The human body can be impacted by extended space travel in several ways, according to Baylor College of Medicine. Spending too much time in space can have negative impacts on your body, including decreased blood volume, orthostatic tolerance, aerobic capacity, bone density, and muscle mass. Space radiation is another issue to be concerned about. Astronauts who are exposed may develop degenerative disorders, radiation sickness, and impacts on the central nervous system. Furthermore, there is an "increased lifetime risk of cancer" due to space radiation. Long periods of space travel can also affect the eyes. "Fluids build up in their skulls, to the point that they feel like they have a perpetual cold," Swinburne University astronomer Alan Duffy told the Guardian. The fluid buildup can also change the shape of the eyeballs and weaken the vision, Duffy added, explaining that while vision problems can go back to normal, astronauts may need glasses.
The impact on their bodies when back on Earth
In a prior study, identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly spent nearly a year in space, while Mark remained on Earth. Keeping in mind Scott's nearly year-long assignment, they contrasted their differences when he returned. According to BBC News, Scott had a rash and increased sensitivity for about six days after leaving the space station; Wilmore and Williams might also have had this experience during their time there. The Kelly twins' investigation also discovered that Scott's space voyage had an impact on his DNA. Susan Bailey, a professor of environmental and radiological health at Colorado State University who participated in the study that examined the Kelly twins, stated that although telomeres naturally shorten with age, "astronauts, in general, had much more short telomeres after spaceflight than they did before [space travel]."
When will the astronauts return?
The NASA and SpaceX mission to return the astronauts was originally planned for March 12, returning on March 16. However, due to a hydraulic issue, the mission remained grounded.
The next launch is scheduled from Florida on Friday, March 14.
NASA explained: "NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with plans to launch the agency’s Crew-10 mission at 7:03 p.m. EDT Friday, March 14, to the International Space Station. On Thursday, SpaceX ground teams completed inspections of the ground support hydraulics system used for the clamp arm supporting the Falcon 9 rocket and successfully flushed a suspected pocket of trapped air in the system."
