uniladtech homepage
  • News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
NASA astronaut reveals what a year in space does to the body after spending 371 days away from Earth

Home> Science> Space

Published 13:33 7 Jun 2024 GMT+1

NASA astronaut reveals what a year in space does to the body after spending 371 days away from Earth

It can be tough for astronauts to readjust to life back on Earth.

Rikki Loftus

Rikki Loftus

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: NASA
Space
Science
Nasa

Advert

Advert

Advert

Not many astronauts spend a prolonged amount of time in space in one go so not much is known about the effects it can have on the body.

Returning back to Earth - and back to gravity again - can have a mental and physical impact, not to mention the effects felt returning back into society after spending a long time isolated up in space.

When NASA astronaut Frank Rubio touched down back on solid ground in September 2023 after spending 371 days, it made him the first US astronaut to spend so much time in space.

NASA
NASA

Advert

He was initially due to do a six-month stint at the International Space Station but ended up staying for over a year when the trip was extended.

Since then, he’s been studied by the NASA medical team to make sure he gets used to being back down on Earth.

Even everyday tasks like standing up and walking around were new to him again after that time.

The lack of gravity up in space means that muscle mass decreases as it is simply not being used, as well as bone loss.

A huge issue facing astronauts adjusting to normal life after a mission is refinding their balance.

Dr Jennifer Fogarty – chief scientific officer at Baylor College of Medicine's Translational Research Institute for Space Health – told ABC News: "How do you coordinate movement like walking, which you haven't done for a long period of time, and then the idea of balance?

“When you put those two together, it can kind of create a little bit of a precarious situation and something that's very well-monitored with the crew members when they land on Earth.”

Longer missions in space mean that the astronauts will take longer to acclimatize back to Earth conditions.

Weightlessness does a lot to the body and can cause structural changes to the eyes and brain, known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome.

Scientists assess astronauts after returning from space to make sure they're adjusting to life back on Earth (spawns/Getty Images)
Scientists assess astronauts after returning from space to make sure they're adjusting to life back on Earth (spawns/Getty Images)

So after 371 days above the atmosphere, Rubio is being assessed by scientists who check his mental and physical health, as well as his immune system, and for changes to his genes.

In fact, the changes to the body can be so tough that NASA prepares astronauts for these effects before sending anyone out into space.

Fogarty added: “We can select people, train them and make sure they're very healthy before they go.

"We do the research to understand where we can make different choices with the environments we build for these people to live and work in, so that we are not tapping into those reserves…and compromising them."

Choose your content:

a day ago
  • NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty
    a day ago

    How to watch NASA's historic Artemis 2 mission as astronauts head for the Moon for first time in decades

    You can follow every moment in real time

    Science
  • boonchai wedmakawand / Getty
    a day ago

    Implementing these small lifestyle habits can seriously reduce risk of heart attack and stroke

    Small changes can make a big difference

    Science
  • SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty
    a day ago

    Scientists discover bizarre thing that happens to semen in space

    Humanity's future beyond Earth might be compromised

    Science
  • Scott Olson/Getty Images
    a day ago

    Drug prescribed to millions over decades revealed to have unexpected impact on the brain

    It is prescribed to over 120 million people worldwide

    Science
  • Cosmonaut who found blob growing outside International Space Station was told to leave area immediately after his discovery
  • NASA space telescope finds Earth-size exoplanet that's 'not a bad place' for human life as we know it
  • NASA astronaut shares what a solar eclipse looks like from space
  • NASA issues update on status of mission to capture asteroid worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000