As of April 9, 2020, 566 humans traveled to space from 41 different nations. One thing each and every one of those humans had in common while in space is that they all experienced first hand effects of space travel. NASA categorizes the effects humans in space face into five broad categories: gravity fields, isolation, closed environments, space radiation, and the distance from Earth.
1. Gravity Fields:
Gravity is a force of attraction that every living organism and object experience constantly. In space, you become weightless due to the constant freefall due to the fact that there is no normal force countering the force of gravity. On another celestial body, for example, Mars, the gravity is only ⅓ of Earth’s gravity. If one is returning from a journey from Mars, transitioning to a different gravity field affects the body of the traveler.
Some of the short term effects include: spatial orientation, coordination, balance, and a high chance of motion sickness.
Some of the long term effects include: Bone loss, osteoporosis, and vision problems.
2. Isolation
NASA studied how isolation affects people for many years and made sure that astronauts in training have developed strategies to counteract the effects of isolation. Nevertheless, even with thorough training, astronauts can still be prone to the dangers of isolation.
Some effects of isolation include: decrease in mood, cognition, morale, and/or interaction. Circadian rhythms which are our bodies’ clock can change as well depending on the change of the length of day.
3. Closed Environments
Apart from isolation that can arise from closed environments, microbes in space stations are easily able to transfer from one person to another. This can cause a change in hormone levels and the immune system can be affected. Fortunately, NASA has developed many systems to keep astronauts safe from microorganisms in space.
4. Space Radiation
Radiation is one of the most dangerous aspects of traveling in space. Radiation is a constant threat that lurks in space. On earth, we are protected by the atmosphere and the magnetic field, but in space, there is no field of protection. Radiation can increase risk of cancer and can negatively affect the nervous system. Diseases can arise as well.
5. Distance from Earth
Since space is not easily reachable by transportation, if anything were to happen in space, it will be difficult to reach the astronauts. Apart from communication delays, medical issues and equipment failure can occur as well. So it is important for our space travelers to make sure they know what to do to fix the problem.
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