59 years ago, the first human entered the dark void of outer space. Since then, hundreds of others have been blasted off, mainly to the International Space Station (ISS) where they can live and conduct vital research. One of the main goals of the ISS was to provide a place where experiments could be done without the constraints of gravity. Working in space would also better help scientists to prepare for the problems they may face in the vacuum. But in order for these projects to be completed, we need astronauts stationed in space for  long periods of time. 

With the upcoming missions of sending humans deeper in space than ever before, it’s important to fully understand the extent to what their bodies will go through. Our bodies are adapted to surviving in exactly 1G of gravity. This gravity is created by the rotation of the Earth. The rotation creates a centripetal force that pulls objects towards its center. The bigger the object, the more gravity it will have. This is also why everything comes back down to ground: it’s simply being pulled toward the center. Our bodies were created to survive in these conditions only, and when they’re suddenly introduced into a micro gravitational environment, there’s no clear answer as to what the long term effects will be. 

However, there is a lot that can be seen in the short term itself. For instance, in space, we know that muscles will start to deteriorate after a certain period of time. This is due to the fact that they don’t have to work as hard as they would on Earth. With nothing constantly pushing against them, they will eventually loose all their strength. In order to counter this issue, astronauts aboard the ISS are required to do some sort of physical activity every day in order to keep their muscles in use. 

Now this itself if easier said than done. In a micro gravity environment, everything is floating around, so something as simple as running on a treadmill can become a long process. All equipment must be securely pinned down, and so must the people who are using it.

 We also know that there can be severe complication with the heart. Since it doesn’t have to work as hard, the heart would be considerably weakened on its return back to Earth. If it’s not properly taken care of, it may not be able to handle the pressures of gravity upon return.

 Here on Earth, our atmosphere protects us from most of the harmful radiation that’s expelled by the Sun. But in space, there is no such protection available. When exploring surfaces such as the Lunar Surface, there is little to no atmosphere available to protect the astronauts, where they can easily be exposed to a deadly amount. Even a small amount of exposure over a long period of time can lead to a host of medical conditions including cancer. 

Space can be a lonely and desolate place. When trapped up there for years at a time, it can be easy for the astronauts to slowly loose their minds. This is a dangerous issue as it can compromise a person’s health and those around them very quickly. 

All of these issues have been viewed in astronauts who’ve lived in space for a period of time, but missions like Artemis provide a whole new set of problems. If we wish to create a settlement on the Lunar Surface, we need to ensure that the astronauts’ bodies can sustain what microgravity will do to them. At a time scale like that, there is no guarantee of what could happen. This is another reason why it’s extremely important to understand the effects of deep space travel: to ensure that the travel won’t permanently damage their bodies.

Resources

NASA