Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Recent studies reveal that space tourists experience some of the same physiological changes as astronauts who spend extended periods in orbit. These changes generally revert to normal once back on Earth, providing new insights into the effects of space travel.
Research involving four space tourists is part of a series of studies examining the health impacts of space travel down to the molecular level. These findings help understand how individuals adapt to weightlessness and space radiation without extensive astronaut training.
“This will allow us to be better prepared when we’re sending humans into space for whatever reason,” stated Allen Liu, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Michigan. His comments underscore the importance of understanding these effects for future space missions.
While NASA has extensively studied the impact of space travel on astronauts, including long-term residents of the International Space Station, there has been less focus on space tourists. The expanding opportunities for private space travel highlight the need for this research.
The 2021 Inspiration4 mission provided a unique opportunity to study the rapid physiological reactions to spaceflight. Over three days, the passengers collected samples of blood, saliva, and skin, which were analyzed to observe changes.
Credit: Inspiration4 via X
Researchers found significant shifts in cells and changes to the immune system. Most of these changes stabilized after the tourists returned home, indicating that short-term space travel did not pose substantial health risks.
Credit: NASA
“This is the first time we’ve had a cell-by-cell examination of a crew when they go to space,” said Chris Mason from Weill Cornell Medicine. This detailed analysis offers a comprehensive view of how spaceflight affects human cells.
Credit: Weill Cornell Medicine
The studies, published in Nature journals, include the impact of spaceflight on the skin, kidneys, and immune system. This research contributes to a growing database of information on space travel's effects on the human body.
According to Afshin Beheshti from the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, these results could help develop strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of space travel. This research is crucial as space tourism and long-duration space missions become more common.