![]() “This is good news for future Mars travelers who may end up spending (approximately) two years in microgravity.”Īnd the impact was minimal for astronauts on two-week jaunts to space - a positive finding for the commercial space industry as short-duration space tourism flights increase in popularity. There was no further increase between six months and one year, meaning that ventricular enlargement seems to taper off after six months, which surprised the researchers, Seidler said. “The biggest jump comes when you go from two weeks to six months in space,” said Seidler, who is also a member of UF Health’s Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases. During the analysis, the researchers determined that the degree to which the ventricles enlarged varied depending on how long the astronauts were in space. Four astronauts had missions that lasted for about a year. “Many astronauts travel to space more than one time, and our study shows it takes about three years between flights for the ventricles to fully recover.”Įight of the astronauts in the study went on two-week missions, while 18 ventured on six-month missions. “We found that the more time people spent in space, the larger their ventricles became,” said lead study author Rachael Seidler, a professor of applied physiology and kinesiology at the University of Florida, in a statement. ![]() How astronauts heading to Mars could enjoy fresh produce and grill meat But when astronauts go to space, fluids within the body shift toward the head and push the brain higher against the skull, causing expansion of the ventricles.Ī mock up of a deep space kitchen from Nonfiction Nonfiction A study detailing the findings was published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.Ĭerebrospinal fluid provides the brain with protection and nourishment while removing waste. The findings have implications for future longer-term missions as NASA and its international partners aim to establish a sustained human presence on the moon with the Artemis program, with the eventual goal of sending humans to deep-space destinations such as Mars. The scans revealed that the ventricles, or cavities within the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid, expanded significantly within the brains of astronauts who went to the International Space Station on missions lasting at least six months. Scientists compared the brain scans of 30 astronauts taken before spaceflights lasting two weeks, six months or a year with scans taken after they returned to Earth. Spaceflights lasting six months or longer take a toll on the brains of astronauts, and crew members may need to wait at least three years before returning to space, according to new research.
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