From Earth, space can seem calm and quiet, but in actual fact it is deadly. If humans ventured into space without the protection of a spacesuit they would die almost instantly. The lack of oxygen would mean suffocation. But before this, the lack of pressure would cause gases in the blood to separate as if it were boiling. With no protection from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, the astronaut would be burned to death.
What happens to your body in space? NASA’s Human Research Program has been unfolding answers for over a decade. Space is a dangerous, unfriendly place. Isolated from family and friends, exposed to radiation that could increase your lifetime risk for cancer, a diet high in freeze-dried food, required daily exercise to keep your muscles and bones from deteriorating, a carefully scripted high-tempo work schedule, and confinement with three co-workers picked to travel with you by your boss.
But what, exactly, happens to your body in space, and what are the risks? Are risks the same for six months on the space station versus three years on a Mars mission? No. There are several risks NASA is researching for a Mars mission. The risks are grouped into five categories related to the stresses they place on the space traveler: Gravity fields, isolation/confinement, hostile/closed environments, space radiation, and distance from Earth.
Scott Kelly was the first American to spend nearly one year in space aboard the International space Station, twice the normal time. Science takes time, and researchers are eagerly analyzing results of the mission to see how much more the body changes after a year in space. One year is a stepping stone to a three-year journey to Mars, and Scott’s data will help researchers determine whether the solutions they’ve been developing will be suitable for such long, onerous journeys.