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The human body "remains robust and resilient" after nearly a year in space, according to a long-term multi-institutional study involving twins, one of whom has lived 340 days on board of the International Space Station, while the other remained on Earth. These encouraging results remove a potential obstacle for crewed interplanetary missions – and just in time for us to start planning them.
The study, conducted by NASA and his partners on US astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, have carefully monitored the vital signs of twins to see if there had been any changes to the twin in orbit (Scott) that was not beneath (Mark) . And there have been changes, but nothing so worrying that souls brave enough to go into space can not guess their craft.
"We only touched body knowledge in the space," said Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of NASA's human research program. "The Twins study gave us the first integrated molecular vision in genetic changes and showed how a human body fits, remains robust and resilient even after spending nearly a year aboard. the International Space Station. Data captured from integrated surveys such as the NASA Twins study will be explored in the coming years. "
Previous studies have shown how microgravity and other factors lead, for example, to a decrease in bone density and hence the need to address these specific trends by altering diet or habits. But it is by far the longest health check in space; Having a twin on the ground to use as a regulator gives incredibly powerful – albeit limited – results. (Here, it seems fair to note that Mark Kelly is also an accomplished astronaut, not just a "controlling organism.")
Expected events include weight loss, low blood pressure and vision problems due to lack of gravity. But the length and nature of the study also made it possible to take into account several new interesting phenomena in the immunological and molecular fields. There is good and bad news.
Telomeres are elements of our chromosomes that help, among other things, preserve our genes. They were immediately affected by the presence in space and a genetic variation six times greater than that of control was observed. They stretched considerably and then back on Earth were much shorter than normal. What are the causes and what would be the effects?
This genetic variation also returned to normal upon its return to the surface – for the most part. But about 7%, many concerning the immune response and the repair of DNA, have not done so. Is there a reason for these genes to be affected? It is impossible to say with a sample size of one. It is also important to note that these genes were not necessarily "damaged" or anything, but that their levels of expression had changed. The DNA itself has remained intact.
Fortunately, the immune system worked perfectly during and after Scott's stay in space. This is extremely important, as a weakened immune system can be extremely troublesome on a long, isolated trip to another planet where no additional medical help can be provided.
Genetic damage may be slightly disturbing, but honestly, if this is the biggest problem that emerges from a person spending a year in a box floating in space, this is very good news. The brain (the most critical part of an astronaut) worked well – the circulatory system was fine – the muscles and bones remained in excellent shape. The potential damage to telomeres and genetic variations are not fun, but they do not show any obstacles either and can very well be avoided.
Considering that shipments to the planned lunar base would almost certainly be of longer duration than those to the ISS, this is great news for the thriving community of extra-orbital space . And the missions to Mars, as difficult as they are, will not have to deal with the closing of the immune system or brain damage due to a change in blood pressure. This kind of trust goes a long way.
Admittedly, this study is only the first among many others. In fact, the teams emphasize that, since they had only one person in space as an experimental group, "it is impossible to attribute causality to a space flight in relation to a fortuitous event. Therefore, our study must be considered as generating hypotheses and defining a framework and must be completed in the future by additional astronaut studies. "
Expect more studies of both this data and everything that is collected during future missions to test and verify the results published today. You can read the full text in the journal Science and learn about the setup and the twins themselves on the NASA Twins Study page.
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