In a strange phenomenon still not fully understood, NASA astronauts have noticed their vision is deteriorating in space.
The syndrome can occur in as little as 6 months in orbit and can permanently alter 20/20 vision to a nearsighted 20/100.
Many astronauts saw the Earth become blurrier while they were on the ISS, but most were hesitant to report a problem.
MRIs, retinal scans, and spinal taps have now revealed that the former astronauts have flatter eyes and swollen optic nerves.
One theory blames low-gravity for fluid build-up in the head and is named “visual impairment intracranial pressure syndrome.”
Unfortunately, one of the only methods to test the hypothesis involves drilling into the skull and is too risky for space.
In the meantime, Russian cosmonauts have resorted to using rubber suction “Chibis” pants to suck the fluids back to the feet...
A long-term study of the Apollo deep space astronauts has uncovered a startling risk to humans who leave the Earth’s orbit.
Compared to low-orbit astronauts, those on moon missions have a 4-5X higher rate of death from cardiovascular disease.
Weightlessness can cause some short-term heart issues, but does not explain why deep space astronauts are especially at risk.
Autopsy results on mice exposed to simulated deep space conditions suggest radiation may be a bigger threat than realized.
The cells lining blood vessels are very vulnerable and may sustain substantial damage outside Earth’s magnetic field.
Although unable to fully explain the finding, researchers are warning that future Mars astronauts may face shorter lifespans...
Microbes hitching rides on astronauts may find their new micro- and zero-gravity environments particularly inviting.
Deadly bacteria such as Staph and Salmonella have been shown to be 3-7X more virulent when taken into space than when on Earth.
When test bacterial cultures were developed, they grouped together in unusually efficient structures that had never been seen before.
Researchers believe the bacteria can sense favorable cell conditions for growth and are activating genes for rapid evolution.
Injected into mice back on Earth, the space-bred microbes made their hosts much sicker and killed them much more quickly...
Astronauts have been complaining of skin issues when returning from space, but until recently no one could pinpoint the problem.
Now, researchers have been able to use a femtosecond laser to see just exactly what is happening under the astronauts’ skin.
Measurements revealed a strong production of collagen in the epidermis and a surprising 20% shrinkage of the skin on top.
It was unclear to the team if the loss of skin would reach a point of stability or continue unabated on a long-haul mission.
The discovery further complicates the risk of DNA degradation that astronauts face from galactic cosmic rays.
There is currently no shield that can stop the particles, and astronauts could reach lifetime radiation limits on a Mars mission...
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing future deep space astronauts may be to not lose their minds.
Solipsism syndrome has been identified as a potential risk facing astronauts on prolonged missions away from Earth.
The syndrome is a psychological state in which a person feels like the world outside of their mind is no longer real.
Extended periods of isolation are believed to be a trigger of the mysterious and poorly understood disorder.
One NASA report on space settlement warned that life can become “a long dream from which an individual can never wake up.”
“Each person is trapped in a nightmare...”