Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
One day, Mars might become a home to humans. But first, we must confront the challenge of making the Red Planet suitable for life. The problem is that most people can’t reach space safely. This undermines dreams of colonization in the face of climate change and existential risks on Earth.
Today, many aspiring astronauts are disqualified for medical reasons. Shawna Pandya of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences notes that conditions like Type 1 diabetes once meant abandoning space dreams.
Common medical disqualifications
Tobacco use, Autoimmune disorders, Sleep apnea, Asthma, Hypertension, Migraines, Anxiety and depression
Astronauts must be unusually healthy because microgravity increases risks of osteoporosis, insulin resistance, and muscle loss. “Space medicine” has emerged as a field to manage these unique challenges.
What we know — and don’t — about human health on Mars
Since few people have gone to space, researchers have limited data. Over 600 astronauts have flown since Yuri Gagarin in 1961, mostly men. NASA has identified five main risks: radiation, isolation, distance from Earth, altered gravity, and environmental effects.
The 2019 NASA Twins Study compared identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly. Scott, who spent a year in space, experienced telomere changes, cardiovascular damage, body mass loss, and cognitive effects. These results showed space can alter gene expression and long-term health.
Civilian space tourism is now expanding opportunities to study people with broader health conditions, but brief flights differ greatly from long missions. Mars presents harsher risks: toxic dust, no breathable atmosphere, weaker gravity, and no protective magnetic field.
A trip to Mars could take nine months each way, with delays of up to 20 minutes in communication. Emergencies would have to be handled on-site. Supplies must be pre-packed, and astronauts would lack Earth’s immediate medical support.
Medicine’s new frontier
Space medicine programs are expanding. UCLA plans a space nursing program, while Europe offers a master’s in SpaceMed. Today, astronauts rely on flight surgeons via telemedicine, but future missions may include on-board medical providers supported by AI.
Google and NASA are developing AI systems for diagnosis in-flight. However, datasets are small and mostly male, raising accuracy issues. Human reproduction in space is especially understudied. No one has been conceived or given birth in space, yet this will be necessary for long-term settlement.
NASA is running simulations like the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, testing isolation effects in a Mars-like habitat. Bed rest studies also model microgravity’s impact.
Scientists are exploring organoid “avatars” — miniature organs grown from astronauts’ stem cells. These could help design personalized countermeasures before missions.
Red planet, blue planet
Critics ask why money is spent on space health while Earth faces problems. But research in space has already advanced medicine on Earth. Imaging developed for Apollo missions led to CT scans, and remote monitoring tools are now common in hospitals.
Space medicine can also make spaceflight more inclusive. In 2023, Pandya’s team tested glucose monitors in space, paving the way for diabetics to participate. Muscle loss studies inform treatments for degenerative diseases like Duchenne’s. Alzheimer’s-like symptoms also appear faster in microgravity, speeding up research.
Cancer research benefits as well. Radiation exposure in space is far higher than on Earth. NASA limits astronauts’ lifetime exposure to 600 mSv, yet a 1,000-day Mars mission could raise cancer mortality risk by 33%. Protecting against radiation is a major priority.
Pharmaceuticals may also improve thanks to microgravity. Drugs and organoids develop more effectively in space, with potential to reduce animal testing and even regenerate organs for transplant.
Conclusion
What we know about space medicine is still minimal compared to what remains undiscovered. But like genetics in the 1990s, every experiment brings breakthroughs. Space medicine not only holds the key to making Mars habitable but also promises to revolutionize healthcare on Earth.
Source: vox.com
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Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.