:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/CFEYFDA5YJCWVD32VN4BJVBEOU.jpg "What are the consequences of space flight for astronauts?")
Over the past few weeks, more than 200 researchers have published 44 articles in various journals offering a basis for understanding **how space affects the human body and how to mitigate those effects.** Over the course of three days in space, the astronauts provided blood, urine, feces, saliva, and sweat samples, as well as skin biopsies. They also performed behavioral and cognitive tests and recorded sleep data. All of this data was integrated into a growing biometric database known as **Space Omics and Medicine Atlas (SOMA)** organized by Mason and his team to mitigate any existing doubts.
The mission **Inspiration4** of SpaceX launched on Sept. 15, 2021, represented a unique opportunity to study health in space with a more diverse sample of participants. The mission included four civilian astronauts, opening a new avenue for scientists investigating human biology in space. The passengers included individuals of different ages, ancestral origins, and biomedical backgrounds. “They are representative of a broader cross-section of humanity,” Mason said.
“This is the first step of many to prepare for the Moon and Mars,” said **Christopher Mason** of **Weill Cornell Medicine**, responsible for the analysis and accumulation of data behind the articles. This catalog includes detailed data collected over the past decade from dozens of astronauts from **NASA** and the **Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency**, as well as private space travelers and a control group of people who climbed **Mount Everest**.
**Michael Snyder**, geneticist of **Stanford**, who was not involved in these recent papers, stressed the importance of understanding how the human body reacts to extreme stress, both physical and cognitive. “We really need to know how the human condition reacts” to radiation and extreme acceleration forces, as well as changes in the body’s circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle.
Since its inception in the 1960s, research into health in space has advanced significantly. Astronauts in the **Apollo Program** wore harnesses with biosensors to monitor their hearts and lungs and underwent extensive physical exams and tests before and following flight. They experienced back pain from microgravity, flashes of light from radiation, and other health changes. But this was just the beginning.
Over the past two decades, the **International Space Station (ISS)** has functioned as an orbiting biological laboratory, investigating everything from bacterial changes to bone loss and brain deformation. In 2015, the **NASA Twins Study** provided a unique opportunity to understand how the space environment affects biology at the smallest level. In this experiment, an astronaut, **Scott Kelly**, remained on the ISS for a year while his identical twin, **Mark Kelly**, also an astronaut, stayed on Earth.
By directly comparing the twins, biologists were able to investigate the genetic effects of space. Upon returning to Earth, Scott’s telomeres — the ends of chromosomes that protect genetic material — had lengthened. “We’re starting to get the blueprints of what our baseline measurements for blood work, radiation and genes in immune systems are,” Mason said.
Although most astronauts in previous scientific studies were men who had trained for years for space travel, **Inspiration4** allowed for a more diverse group of space travelers to be analyzed. The researchers took advantage of tests developed in previous studies and adapted them for this civilian mission.
“We already had a set of experiments that flew into space and that had been ‘incredibly validated in astronauts,’” said **Mathias Basner** of the **University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine**, who studies human behavior and cognition.
Preliminary results indicate that even short trips can alter human biology in ways that don’t seem to be completely reversed. These investigations are beginning to suggest differences between men and women. According to Mason, “We’re just now starting to get the rough edges of our baseline measurements.”
Early recognition of these effects is crucial for future missions to destinations like the Moon and Mars. With each new study, scientists gain a better understanding of how to protect astronauts and, eventually, enable humanity to make the giant leap toward becoming an interplanetary species.
Inspiration4: Civilian Astronauts Provide Biological Data for Space Research
The Inspiration4 mission, a landmark voyage launched by SpaceX in September 2021, has generated a wealth of scientific data, providing crucial insights into the effects of space on the human body. This privately funded mission carried a crew of four civilian astronauts, offering a unique opportunity to study human biology in a space environment with a more diverse participant pool than ever before.
Unprecedented Data Collection for Space Omics and Medicine Atlas (SOMA)
Over three days in space, the Inspiration4 crew provided a wide range of biological samples including blood, urine, feces, saliva, sweat, and skin biopsies. They also underwent behavioral and cognitive assessments, and their sleep patterns were meticulously monitored. This extensive data collection has been integrated into the Space Omics and Medicine Atlas (SOMA), a growing biometric database. SOMA, organized by Dr. Christopher Mason of Weill Cornell Medicine, aims to comprehensively analyze and understand how space affects the human body and develop strategies to mitigate those effects.
Diverse Crew Offers Valuable Insights
The Inspiration4 mission had a significant departure from previous space exploration endeavors. The civilian astronauts represented a diverse cross-section of humanity, varying in age, ancestral origins, and medical backgrounds. This diversity provided researchers with a unique opportunity to investigate how space impacts different individuals.
A Legacy of Space Research
Research into the effects of space travel on the human body has progressed significantly since the early days of space exploration. The Apollo Program astronauts relied on biosensors to monitor their heart and lung functions, and they underwent extensive pre and post-flight physical examinations. They experienced a variety of health changes, including back pain due to microgravity, flashes of light induced by radiation, and other physiological alterations. These early studies paved the way for more comprehensive investigations.
The International Space Station (ISS), launched in 1998, has played a pivotal role in advancing space research. The ISS serves as an orbiting laboratory, allowing scientists to study a multitude of aspects, including bacterial changes, bone loss, and brain deformation in the space environment.
The NASA Twins Study: A Landmark Experiment
A pivotal moment in space research occurred in 2015 with the NASA Twins Study. This ambitious experiment involved astronaut Scott Kelly spending a year on the ISS while his identical twin, Mark Kelly, remained on Earth. This unique opportunity allowed scientists to directly compare the biological changes experienced by the twins, providing valuable insights into the genetic effects of space travel. The study revealed that Scott Kelly’s telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, had lengthened following his extended stay in space.
Extending the Research: Inspiration4 and Beyond
The Inspiration4 mission, with its diverse crew, expanded upon the legacy of space research, using established testing protocols and tailoring them for civilian space travelers. This mission allowed scientists to analyze a broader population of space explorers, furthering our understanding of how space impacts human health.
Early Findings and Future Implications
Preliminary data analysis suggests that even short spaceflights can alter human biology in ways that may not fully reverse following returning to Earth. These early findings indicate potential differences in how space affects men and women. The ongoing research continues to refine our baseline understanding of human health in space.
The insights garnered from the Inspiration4 mission and previous studies are crucial for future deep-space missions, particularly those involving travel to the Moon and Mars. As we venture further into space, a thorough understanding of human biology and its response to the space environment is fundamental to protecting astronauts and ensuring the success of future space exploration endeavors. The data collected from Inspiration4 represents a vital step towards realizing humanity’s dream of becoming an interplanetary species.
