Scientists May Know Why Astronauts Develop Health Problems In Space

The potential breakthrough came in part thanks to NASA’s open source GeneLab platform. The tool aggregates large volumes of space biology data from around the world, including cellular information as well as DNA, RNA and proteins.

The findings reinforce concerns that astronauts could face significant health issues in the future, especially for travel to the Moon and Mars. The discovery, however, could be crucial in overcoming these problems. Lead study author Afshin Beheshti told NASA it could lead to “countermeasures and drugs” that keep people living well in space for long periods of time. It may be safe to spend months in orbit or deep space travel, then – you may just have to take precautions until you are in the relative safety of Earth.