DALLAS—Recent studies published on Tuesday reveal that space tourists undergo similar bodily changes as astronauts during extended stays in space.
However, these changes tend to revert to normal once the space tourists return to Earth, as reported by researchers.
The research on four space tourists is part of a series of studies focusing on the health impacts of space travel, even at the molecular level. These findings shed light on how individuals, without extensive astronaut training, adapt to weightlessness and space radiation, according to the researchers.
Allen Liu, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Michigan not involved in the research, stated, “This will allow us to be better prepared when we’re sending humans into space for whatever reason.”
While NASA and others have extensively studied the effects of space travel on astronauts, including those residing on the International Space Station for a year, less attention has been given to space tourists. The first tourist visited the space station in 2001, and private space travel opportunities have increased in recent years.
A chartered three-day flight in 2021 provided researchers with the opportunity to observe how the body reacts and adjusts to spaceflight rapidly, according to Susan Bailey, a radiation expert at Colorado State University who participated in the study.
During their time in space, the four passengers aboard the SpaceX flight, known as Inspiration4, collected various samples such as blood, saliva, and skin. Analysis of these samples revealed significant changes in cells and alterations to the immune system. Most of these changes stabilized in the months following their return to Earth, with researchers concluding that short-term space travel did not pose major health risks.
Researcher and co-author Chris Mason from Weill Cornell Medicine commented, “This is the first time we’ve had a cell-by-cell examination of a crew when they go to space.”
The papers, published in Nature journals on Tuesday and now part of a database, explore the effects of spaceflight on the skin, kidneys, and immune system. These findings could potentially aid researchers in developing strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of space travel, according to Afshin Beheshti, a researcher at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science involved in the study.
By Adithi Ramakrishnan
