In September 2021, four mission crew members Inspiration4 of SpaceX they made history like the first completely civilian team to orbit Earth. During their three-day stay in space they broke barriers in space exploration, and today provided detailed data on the effects of short-term space travel on the human body.
The Inspiration4 crew, which included the doctor Hayley Arceneauxto aerospace data engineer Chris Sembroskithe geoscientist Sian Proctor and the billionaire businessman Jared Isaacmanunderwent to extensive testing before, during and after the flight.
They took place blood tests, saliva and skin biopsies, among others, providing a comprehensive view of the effects of space travel on the human body. Recent research, based on data collected during the Inspiration4 mission, They shed light on how space travel affects different systems of the human body.
The studies, published in Nature, revealed significant changes in crucial structures such as the brain, heart, muscles, kidneys and skin. They were also observed alterations in immune regulation and stress levelsas well as in the mitochondriathe “power plants” of the cells.
“We saw some evidence of brain-associated proteins in the blood after the missionwhich suggests brain stress during the mission,” he said. Chris Mason in Reuterswho is a professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicineand participated in directing the research.
In the words of the bioinformatician Afshin Beheshti of the Blue Marble Space Science Institute in Seattle: “The longer the duration in space, the greater the increase in health risks observed.”. But he clarified that this data could help counteract the consequences in future missions.
An encouraging aspect of the research is that more than 95% of monitored biomarkers returned to their pre-flight levels in the months following the crew’s return.
“This bodes well for other civilian groups planning to live and work in space,” Mason said. Nevertheless, some anomalies persistedparticularly in the mitochondria.
Allen Liua professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in the research, added to AP: “This will allow us to be better prepared when we send humans into space for any reason.”.
The mission was a personal odyssey for the crew members. Arceneaux, a physician assistant and pediatric cancer survivor, She became the youngest American to orbit the Earth.
Despite some side effects, the experience was positive. “I love my space scar”said Arceneaux, who was 29 years old at the time.
The research also compared data from the Inspiration4 mission with information from 64 astronauts who participated in longer missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and other missions.
This allowed us to analyze the effects of higher levels of radiation, since Inspiration4 flew at an altitude of approximately 370 miles (590 km) above Earthhigher than the ISS.
“Until now, Women appear to return to baseline (pre-flight state) faster than menbut our numbers are too small for this to be definitive,” Mason explained.
The beginning of this “second space age” is characterized by the increase in commercial missions, which has accelerated the urgency of understanding health risks. Researchers are taking a proactive approach.
“It has been shown that the systemic response seen in spaceflight contributes to increased frailty in humans”Beheshti explained.
The research also points to possible paths to mitigate the damage caused by space radiation.. A series of studies have found that certain molecules involved in the regulation of gene activity are inhibited in space, opening the door to possible countermeasures.
