Scientists Are Starting To Better Understand How Space Travel Affects The Body

Space travel has been one of the biggest accomplishments of the past century. Indeed, putting humans into space has taken so much time, effort, dedication, and planning. However, there is still so much left to learn.

Recently, scientists have gained more insight into how space travel specifically affects the body at a molecular level, providing some insight into the potential long-term effects that it will have on an individual’s health.  

Per a recent statement by NASA, scientists are now starting to understand that “a possible underlying driver of these impacts [is] the powerhouse of the cell, called mitochondria, [which] experiences changes in activity during spaceflight.”

The statement indicates that this preliminary belief stems from decades of research conducted on the International Space Station and samples from approximately 59 astronauts. The findings are based on a larger compendium of research across multiple primary investigators, studies, and scientific efforts that are taking a closer look at how space affects human health.

Afshin Beheshti, who is one of the key scientists, states that “We’ve found a universal mechanism that explains the kinds of changes we see to the body in space, and in a place we didn’t expect […] Everything gets thrown out of whack and it all starts with the mitochondria.”

Beheshti goes onto state that “When we started comparing the tissues from mice flown on separate space missions, we noticed that mitochondrial dysfunction kept popping up […] Whether we were looking at problems in the eyes or in the liver, the same pathways related to mitochondria were the source of the problem.”

The press release further indicates that “NASA’s data on humans backed this hypothesis up. The changes identified in astronaut Scott Kelly’s immune system during his year in space starting in 2015 may be explained by the changes observed in the activity of his mitochondria as well. Blood and urine samples from dozens of other astronauts showed further evidence that, in various types of cells, being in space led to altered mitochondrial activity.”

Evagelia C. Laiakis, PhD, an Associate Professor of Oncology at Georgetown stated that “Although we each studied different tissue, we all came to the same conclusion: that mitochondrial function was adversely impacted by space travel.”

Independently, disease related to mitochondrial dysfunction is an expansive area of study, that has some level of understanding in the physiological and pathological contexts. Thus, Beheshti states that perhaps “We can look at countermeasures and drugs we already use to deal with mitochondrial disorders on Earth to see how they might work in space, to start.”

Indeed, this crucial discovery reiterates that more research needs to be done in this area to continue examining the short and long term health effects of space travel on humans. Only then can humanity truly unlock and explore the full potential that space has to offer.