NASA is all set to launch the Crew-10 mission on Friday to retrieve Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from space, whose eight-day trip turned into nine months due to a series of technical issues related. Returning to Earth is also a challenge for Williams and Willmore, as they will enter Earth’s gravity from the microgravity of space.
According to The Guardian, “The lack of gravity causes significant and irreparable bone density loss. It also causes muscles to waste in your arms, legs, trunk, and elsewhere, including your heart, which, because it doesn’t have to pump blood against gravity, has to work much less hard.”
Blood volume also changes, and eventually it causes blood clots. Fluids also don’t come down or drain as easily. They will struggle to walk and suffer bad eyesight.
Muscle weakness
Due to the exposure to microgravity, the astronauts face issues like muscle weakness, which is also called muscle atrophy. The weakness includes the legs, back, and core, which eventually result in approximately 20 percent of muscle during long missions.
Bone Density And Fracture Risk
According to experts, the microgravity also caused severe bone density loss. As per the studies, astronauts lose 1 to 2 percent bone mass every month.
Balance And Coordination
Due to the long time in space, the brain adopts the new environment. Returning to the earth will cause dizziness and nausea, and the body will also face trouble in readjustment.
Heart Health And Blood Pressure
Due to microgravity, body fluids travel upward in space. This will lead to face fat and low blood in the legs. Microgravity also increased the risk of heart-related issues.
Vision problem
Exposure in microgravity for a long time also caused vision problems as all the fluids travelled upward, which triggers “intracranial pressure” in the eyes. In medical terms, it is called Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).
Radiation And Risk Of Cancer
The long period of stay in space will expose you to multiple types of radiation. These include particles trapped in the earth’s magnetic field, solar energetic particles from the sun, and finally galactic cosmic rays. Exposure to this radiation will increase the chance of cancers and rare cancers. On the other hand, Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field shield us from radiation.
