What Happens To Your Body In Space: DNA Changing and 5 Other Important Things
If you plan to be among first Mars visitors or just want to spend holidays on ISS, keep in mind how Space will influence your body. Stay with Nexter.org to know more.
DNA Changing
Latest NASA studying has shown that spending a year in space transforms your genes.
NASA’s Twins Study reveals that 7% of astronaut Scott Kelly’s genes did not return to normal after his return to Earth two years ago.
The scientist studied Kelly’s DNA data before, during and after he spent one year aboard the International Space Station and then compared with his identical twin, Mark, who remained on Earth.
NASA has learned that the formerly identical twins are no longer genetically the same.
Source: NASA
Growth
Dreaming to be tall – hurry up to space! You can grow up to 3% taller in space.
One Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai claimed that he had grown 3.5 inches in the span of just three weeks while aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
“Today I share some serious news. Since coming to space, I have grown 9 centimeters. This is the most I’ve grown in three weeks since junior high school. I am a little worried I won’t fit in my seat on the return trip on Soyuz,” Kanai tweeted, referring to the Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft that transports crews to and from the ISS.
Well, actually a day later, Kanai found out that he made a mistake and apologized for spreading “fake news,” clarifying that he miscalculated the measurement.
He had actually grown 0.9 inches – 2.6 inches less than he initially claimed. Unfortunately, after a few months on Earth you’ll return to normal height.
Source: Reuters
READ: Grab Your Spacesuit and Check Out the Google Maps Galaxy!
Immune system
Life in space can depress your immune systems, according to a study published in 2014.
“Things like radiation, microbes, stress, microgravity, altered sleep cycles and isolation could all have an effect on crew member immune systems,” Brian Crucian, NASA biological studies and immunology expert, who led the study, said in a statement.
“If this situation persisted for longer deep space missions, it could possibly increase risk of infection, hypersensitivity, or autoimmune issues for exploration astronauts.”
Muscles into jelly
Astronauts’ muscles almost immediately start shrinking and shedding the extra tissue that they no longer need.
That’s why all ISS astronauts must exercise for about two hours a day and it’s not an easy-thing to do in zero gravity.
You can see the crazy contraption used to do squats below:
Source: NASA
Vision problems
A 2013 study examined the eyes of 27 astronauts who had spent an average of 108 days on board the ISS.
The tests showed that many of them had eye abnormalities after returning from space.
Source: NASA
Sleeping hell
Can you imagine a night on ISS?
Astronauts have to strap themselves into sleeping bags every night because in microgravity their heads roll forward and their arms float up once they fall asleep.
“Sometimes you wake up in the morning to see an arm floating in front of your face and think, “Whoa! What is that?” until you realize it’s yours,” astronaut Marsha Ivins told Wired.
Source: NASA
See also:
- Luxury Hotels In Space: Who Will Be the First Cosmic Hotel King?
- What’s Up Elon: Who is Musk’s Inspiration Person, First people on Mars and Big Falcon Rocket 2019 Launch
- One-Way Ticket: KEY Facts about NASA Sending a Space Submarine to Saturn Moon
