Another disadvantage perceived when going for long-term missions during space travel is the accumulation of fluids on the upper parts of the body, particularly the head, which may lead to increase intracranial pressure. This pressure can easily lead to vision related complications, headaches and sometimes even affect the intellect of a person.
Staying for long in space has severe health consequences, and as astronaut Sunita Williams has experienced. Crew 13, Williams and Barry Wilmore are currently docked aboard the International Space Station (ISS), but because of some technical problem with their return capsule their working mission has been extended unexpectedly.
This has played out with them earlier planned for a short span of time on the planet, but their mission has since been stretched indefinitely, thus bring a close look at the harsh realities of being on a mission in space.
In fact, human body is not adapted for the conditions of microgravity which exists in space. Since the blood circulation depends upon gravity, eliminations or excretion of the fluids become imbalanced; this may lead to either dehydration or fluid overload.
Circumstances
In these circumstances, the kidneys actually fail to operate in an optimum manner, and there are great tendencies for the formation of the kidney stones and may progress to chronic kidney diseases. It also leads to muscle and bone deterioration with time hence reducing the strength of the skeletal system and makes suffers more prone to fractures and other similar complications.
Another of the long-term space-flight losses is the shift of fluids to the head, which raises intracranial pressure. This pressure can result in vision constraints, headaches and could lead to some level of deterioration of mental abilities. The cardiovascular also has its problems, as the heart does not need to pump hard to circulate blood in weightlessness, people become less cardiovascular fit, and maybe changes in the shape of heart.
Another formidable danger is radiation, which is much higher in space than on the Earth’s surface. Cosmic rays and other kinds of radiation are able to get into the spacecraft and impart doses that exceed terrestrial levels to the astronauts.
This exposure also leads to tendencies of growing cancer and is also likely to cause acute radiation sickness. The radiation damage also has long-term impact on the brains of individuals, and may cause deterioration of cognitive function, neurological complications and much more in the long run.
noticeable influence is the absence of weight and gravity on the body; even gut microbiota depends on gravity. Alteration in gut microbiota affects digestion, the immune system and possibly moods which results in illnesses that are hard to treat while in space.
Let us not underestimate the effect that long-term assignments have on the mental and emotional well-being of the responding parties. Being in isolation, confined space and a stressful environment of space creates mental health complications ranging from anxiety, major depressive disorder and PTSD.
Loneliness
The loneliness of not being able to meet friends and families for an extended period and the repetitive routine in the ISS only serve as other sources of stress, and such stress is known to persist even after the astronauts have come back to the surface of the earth.
While the NASA is struggling to resolve the technical problems that threaten Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore’s return, their health deterioration constantly reminds about the problems one might face during long space missions.