[ad_1]
Scientists heading for the International Space Station can get used to it. They are preparing as best as they can on Earth, but the human body tends to do strange things when you remove the gravity of the equation, and astronauts who come back from space can present a variety of problems that it takes a while to correct them.
Researchers from the European Space Agency are now using ISS astronaut data to learn more about the effects of space travel on a very fundamental function of the human body: breathing.
In the near future, humans will return to the moon and possibly go to Mars. When this happens, scientists want to make sure that the basic functions of the human body are not a problem, especially during long-term missions. To this end, experiments aboard the ISS have asked astronauts to breathe in a small machine that measures nitric oxide saturation in their breath, revealing inflammation of the lungs.
The pulmonary problems during the Moon and Mars missions are of great concern. If a space traveler feels inflamed lungs – as asthma suffers on Earth, the low-pressure environment could make matters worse. Astronauts aboard the ISS conducted breathing tests in an airlock to simulate the reduced pressure that future travelers could experience on the Moon and Mars. These readings help scientists better understand how to prevent potentially life-threatening situations.
At the present time, NASA intends to return to the Moon by 2024, which is just around the corner. In the near future, lunar habitats could become a reality and, eventually, NASA thinks that a crewed trip to Mars will be possible. When these trips finally take place, breathing problems will hopefully become the last concern of astronauts.
Source of image: NASA
[ad_2]
Source link