We Finally Learned What a Year in Space Did to Astronaut Scott Kelly's Body

Time ^ | April 11, 2019 | Jeffrey Kluger

[EveningStar]

Traveling in space looks like all kinds of fun, and in a lot of respects, it is—provided you can overlook a few downsides. There’s the loss of muscle mass, for one thing. Then there’s the decalcification of bones and the stress on the heart and the damage to the eyes and the changes in the immune system and the disruption of the genome and an actual shortening of your overall life expectancy.

It was, in part, to study all of those biological problems that astronaut Scott Kelly spent 340 days in space from 2015 to 2016 (chronicled in TIME’s Emmy-nominated series A Year in Space). Now, just over three years after his return, the first tranche of studies into Kelly’s off-world marathon has been published in Science. The results are mixed — Kelly fared better than expected on some measures and worse on others. The overall conclusion is less ambiguous: space travel is exceedingly hard on the human body, and we have a lot to learn before we’re ready to start living on the moon or Mars.

[vmpolesov]

Some people want us to fart around in low earth orbit indefinitely while we ‘study’.

[Dave Wright]

So why does NASA think that we can set up bases on the Moon and travel to Mars if it is harmful to human health? Robots are much better at space travel than we are.

[Bob434]

[[ There’s the loss of muscle mass, for one thing. Then there’s the decalcification of bones and the stress on the heart and the damage to the eyes and the changes in the immune system and the disruption of the genome and an actual shortening of your overall life expectancy.]]

God created earth for man- not outer space=- not saying we can’t overcome the perils of living in outer space, but it’s going to take an awful lot of manipulation and problem solving to do so- meanwhile back on earth- we have a perfectly placed and maintained world in which we can live without all those problems listed above due to weightlessness and other issues related to deep space - Are we building another tower of babble? Lol God created earth for man, and man can’t wait to get off the planet- it’s like living in a mansion, and lusting for life in a crude survival shelter

[Magnum44]

Elon could have launched you instead of that stupid Tesla awhile back. Most people want to know the risks before jumping off the cliff...

[treetopsandroofs]

I recall Big Media complaining during Republican administrations how much $$ was wasted at NASA.

Then the Fraud came along and killed our space program and sent NASA Mecca-ward, and our domestic enemies were happy.

Otherwise Big Media might have cared about EXPERIMENTATION ON TWINS, and resultant chromosomal damage (”inversions”).

[treetopsandroofs]

“So why does NASA think that we can set up bases on the Moon and travel to Mars if it is harmful to human health?”

Bread and circuses.

Win-win, even most right-wingers support it.

[Truth29]

All of this seems predicated on living long term in a weightless environment. What happened to all the ideas for rotating spacecraft and space stations to create artificial gravity?

[READINABLUESTATE]

“Some people want us to fart around in low earth orbit indefinitely while we ‘study’.”
No farting in the space station, unless you are wearing your suit and helmet.

[Sirius Lee]

Agreed. It’s an engineering Halle he that has already been solved.

[rktman]

A much shorter time in “leo” obviously altered his twin brother mark’s thought process.

[rlmorel]

No Farting in the Space Suit!

[Sirius Lee]

How did “challenge” become “Halle”?

[KC Burke]

I thought this was connected to that “God made me Gay” thread.

[PGR88]

We are going to need new humans

[SamAdams76]

I think the human race in general is genetically programmed to explore. That's how the New World (the Americas) were discovered by Europeans back in the 1400s and 1500s and then eventually settled. Europeans weren't content to stay on their own continent.

Of course, individual humans might be perfectly happy where they are. I have a sister-in-law who almost never leaves her hometown and would be content to sit in her house 24/7.

[Bob434]

oh im not suggesting we give up exploring- I only meant to point out we have a perfectly suitable planet to live on and it will take massive problem solving to live on another planet- and be too burdensome and expensive- but yeah, visiting is fine- but again, we have the perfect planet to live on now- Maybe someday outer-space living will be a financially and physically viable alternative, but again, are we trying to build another tower of babble?

[outofsalt]

Just a very partial list of space age tech

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

I think that there needs to be more Canadians in space. After Tuesday, Rachel Notley will be available, after losing the Alberta election. A trip to the ISS for a year or two, could add much to the science of aging in space. The study of the effects of space travel on a vile, lying, aging, socialist hag, would add much to the annals of science. Perhaps Justine Trudeau could join her after October 21. He'll be out of a job then. A year or two in space, would add to scientific knowledge of how space affects lying, middle age, socialist, fake feminist, males who act like prepubescent girls. A win for Canada! Two esteemed (🤮) Canadian politicians, serving in space for several years, to advance science. I'm sure that Canadians would be more than willing to sacrifice

[Rappini]

That’s why the Aliens look so ugly.