Science Common Sense
585 - How does space travel affect the human body?
When we travel to space, our bodies face some unusual conditions that can cause some weird and interesting effects. Here are a few:
- Weightlessness: Since there's no gravity in space, our bodies can float around, and it can feel weird. Our muscles and bones might become weaker because they don't have to work as hard.
- Vision changes: Prolonged time in space can make our eyes change shape and our vision blurry. This is because fluids in our body shift to our upper body.
- Sleep problems: It's hard to sleep in space because the light is always on and the day-night cycles are different. Our bodies get confused about when to sleep and wake up.
- Radiation exposure: Space is filled with radiation that can hurt our bodies. Astronauts have to wear special suits to protect themselves from these rays.
- Muscle and bone loss: Since our bodies don't have to work as hard in space, we might lose some muscle and bone mass. Astronauts exercise regularly to fight this problem.
To overcome these effects, astronauts and space agencies work together to create special equipment and exercises to keep their bodies healthy and strong.