SPACE (KXAN) – For NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, a two-week trip to space could soon become an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station.
Williams and Wilmore became the first pilots of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, launched on June 5, but security concerns led NASA to postpone a return trip.
Prolonged stay, while not deadly, can take a huge toll on their bodies.
Astronauts have spent long periods in space before. Last March, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned from space after 371 days, the longest spaceflight undertaken by an American.
Rubio’s experience could give researchers a better understanding of the impact long-term space travel has on the body.
We already know a lot about the health impacts of space travel: NASA’s Human Research Program has been studying what happens to the human body for more than 50 years.
So what can Wilmore and Williams expect when it comes to their extended stay?
Radiation in space
According to NASAThe risk of cancer, heart disease, and cataracts increases with prolonged spaceflight due to radiation in space.
On Earth, our magnetic field protects us from solar radiation. Spacecraft, however, are not as protective as Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA says these increased health risks come from long-term exposure. This will be especially important as we begin trips to the Moon and Mars in the next decade.
Bones and muscles become weaker
While no gravity in space is, let’s be honest, pretty cool, it does have some drawbacks. Without the constant weight of the world on their shoulders, astronauts’ bones and muscles can weaken.
Bones lose density as a result of zero gravity. Minerals that are normally stored in bones will also move to other parts of the body, according to Baylor College of Medicine. This increases the calcium in the astronaut’s urine and increases the chance of kidney stones.
Muscles, with nothing to pull against, shrink. Astronauts experience decreased muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
Although there is exercise equipment on board the ISS, it is not enough to perfectly maintain an explorer’s muscles. Astronauts spend at least two hours per day training to prevent this muscle loss and take supplements to maintain bone health.
The good news is that back pain goes away. Astronauts aboard the ISS reported spines lengthening, making people taller and relieving some pressure.
Space eyes
An uncommon problem is loss of vision after being in space. Without gravity, the eyes become longer and vision changes.
Known as Space-Associated Neuroocular Syndrome (SANS), blood accumulates in the astronaut’s head due to the lack of gravity and remains in the back of the eye, close to the optic nerve.
This can lead to decreased sharpness and flattening of the eyeball, according to Texas A&M. These changes typically occur after just two weeks in space.
Gravity and our hearts (and stomachs)
Our heart, like other muscles, shrinks while in space. To look for showed that astronauts have decreased blood volume, lung capacity and even more arrhythmias (where the heart beats irregularly).
This is particularly a problem when an astronaut returns to Earth. When gravity pulls them in again, astronauts report a smaller, weaker heart.
Finally, constipation becomes a problem. Without the help of gravity, food has a difficult time traveling through the body.
According to the Lunar and Planetary Instituteastronauts maintain a special diet and often lose 5% of their body weight during a four- to six-month stay.
NASA encourages astronauts to eat even when they are not hungry and to select high-calorie foods. (The food is really taste tested before the trip). Vitamin D, folic acid and calcium supplements should also be taken.
Iron is another issue. It builds up in the body because the blood is floating and doesn’t pump as hard. Because of this, astronauts need to be extra careful not to consume too much.
Return to Earth
Astronauts who reached space aboard Boeing’s Starliner may have to wait until February to return to Earth.
Space X is launching a mission in Septemberwhich was originally scheduled to carry four astronauts on board. NASA may ask two of those astronauts to stay behind so that Wilmore and Williams can take their places on the return flight.
That flight is scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025.
NASA said Wednesday it is still deciding whether to keep Williams and Wilmore on the International Space Station until then. Officials said they are analyzing more data before making a decision by the end of next week or early next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
