NASA outlines major health risks facing 'stranded' astronauts as rescue mission delayed again
The NASA astronauts may experience shrinking bones, toilet issues, and even hearing loss and/or blindness
The rescue mission to bring back NASA's stranded astronauts from space has been delayed yet again. The SpaceX launch of Elon Musk's rocket has been waylaid for the umpteenth time due to a launch pad problem.
The development comes amid a series of complications facing the nine-month bid to rescue Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since June last year.
Elon Musk's company was slated to propel the Falcon 9 rocket towards the ISS on Wednesday evening. However, last-minute challenges at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida led to an abrupt cancellation of the mission.
Just as the four astronauts set to relieve Sunita and Butch were secured into their spacecraft, alarms were raised concerning a vital hydraulic system. Both NASA and SpaceX are reattempting the launch on Thursday evening (March 13)
By the time they return to Earth, the astronauts will have clocked up 10 months in space. The SpaceX mission they left for was meant to last eight days but safety concerns about their journey home moved NASA to postpone it.
The Record previously revealed how the marooned astronauts have survived in space all this time after Sunita, one of the explorers, revealed she has "forgotten how to walk".
Now, NASA has released tens major health risks facing the professionals as they continue their long-drawn-out odyssey. And it turns out the dangers of orbiting in space - especially for the staggering amount of time that they have - are far-reaching and affect almost every part of the human anatomy, as well as the brain and mental faculties.
Alarmingly, astronauts run the risk of going blind from spaceflight. Sunlight exposure primarily affects the eye and skin and although there are measures currently in place to counter any threat, it is not off the table.
"An increase in the prevalence of high-power ground-based lasers capable of reaching the ISS, and possibly even the Moon, could cause acute laser exposure damaging haemorrhagic retinal lesions," NASA explained.
This could result in temporary or permanent damage to vision. The celestial stint could also wreak havoc on another sense - hearing. There is a risk of hearing loss due to acoustic issues in space, but it can also cause other physiological effects like irritation, headaches, and a sharp drop in sleep and relaxation.
Even noise that astronauts don't consider harmful may cause temporary or permanent hearing loss, as crews may become desensitised to certain noises like ultrasonic noise.
In addition, fractured bones may come from floating in outer space. This is because changes in gravity cause skeletal changes, meaning bone strength is compromised.
Exercise, a good diet, and medications will be needed to prevent fractured bones when the astronauts return from their trip. Scarily, the long-term impact of bone changes is unknown.
The strength and size of muscles can also decline, as can posture and balance. It takes hours to days for the body to readapt to gravity upon landing. The crew must adhere to a strict exercise schedule if they want to return with minimal losses of muscle size, strength, and endurance.
Astronomy
The heart may bear the brunt of solar stints. Cardiovascular deconditioning, dysfunction, and remodelling may take place and the astronauts' tickers may suffer during and after planetary operations. Cardiovascular disease is considered a major long term health risk and there will be lingering fitness concerns, too.
What's more, previous spaceflight experience has shown that astronauts commonly experience sleep deprivation and disturbances to their circadian rhythm - your body's internal "clock" that regulates various physical, mental, and behavioural changes over a 24-hour cycle, primarily influenced by light and darkness - leading to fatigue.
Toilet issues could crop up. Explorers may be unable to completely empty their bladder or suffer from urinary retention or urinary tract infection due to microgravity and side effects of medications to combat space motion sickness, and other factors. Treatment, including urethral catheterization, has been performed on orbit before.
Other threats facing the professionals include psychiatric disorders, brain structure changes, carbon dioxide exposure, and deep vein thrombosis.
When Sunita and Butch make landing, another team, composed of American, Japanese, and Russian astronauts, will take over. A SpaceX commentator insisted the company "will not launch unless we know we can do so safely and reliably."
He reminded livestream viewers that the new difficulty endangers the overall safety of the mission.