The effects of space in the human body are still unknown. Experiment such as those of the twins Scott and Mark Kelly in 2017, with one in orbit and one on land, and resulting in changes in their bodies, demonstrate them. But now one step further has left with the doubts that astronauts face Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, recently rescued after spending 9 months isolated in the International Space Station for various mechanical failures.
Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth on March 18 after a prolonged stay of 285 days. Its original mission, aboard Boeing’s Starliner ship, was scheduled to last only 10 days. However, technical problems with the Starliner propulsion system prevented its return as planned. ?
Given this situation, NASA decided that Wilmore and Williams remained in the US and integrated into the regular crew rotation. Finally, they returned to Earth aboard a Crew Dragon capsule of Spacex, along with other members of the CREW-9 mission. ?
After their return, Wilmore and Williams are rehabinging life on earth, enjoying activities such as running and spending time with their families. Besides, They are collaborating with Boeing to analyze and improve the Starlinercontributing your direct experience to solve the problems detected.
However, concern for your health states is not only psychological or immune. What worries scientists most is what is not seen: The integrity of their bonesthat after months without gravity they could have become almost as fragile as the glass.
New research with mice sent to space can shed light on this invisible but crucial process. What their bones tell is more than a simple medical history; It is a reminder of the physical toll that supposes to leave the earth.
Floating bones: What space does to the skeleton
On earth, every step we take put pressure on our bones. This constant stress gives them a reason for being, a need to stay dense and resistant. But in space, That pressure disappears. Microgravity allows the body to float, but also deceives the musculoskeletal system, which interprets that lack of weight as a sign that it no longer needs to maintain its structure.
The study recently published by NASA researchers and Blue Marble Space Institute of Science He examined the effects of 37 days in orbit on mice. What they found was disturbing: the femures – loads of load par excellence – showed a significant loss of bone mass. Instead, the spine, which depends more on muscle activity than on weight, did not evidence damage to the same magnitude.
This finding is not less. It suggests that the main cause of bone decalcification in space is not radiation “As initially thought,” but the simple absence of gravity. Ingravidity deactivates the mechanical stimulus necessary to maintain bone density.
An accelerated bone metamorphosis
But deterioration is not the only change. The study also identified an accelerated endocondral ossification process in mice femurs. This is the mechanism by which cartilage is transformed into bone, and is usually associated with skeletal growth during youth.
The implication is clear: lTo microgravity not only deteriorates, but also alters the speed of bone development. In organizations still in development, such as young mice, this could translate anomalous or de -inconcusal bone growth. And in adult humans? Perhaps not growth, but a deregulation in the mechanisms of regeneration and bone maintenance.
This type of findings is vital for space agencies. Knowing that ossification can be affected means that astronauts could face complications not only during the mission, but also in their readjustment to terrestrial gravity, such as spontaneous fractures, loss of mobility or deterioration in the joint structure.
Habitats that protect bones
One of the most revealing results of the study was the comparison between the mice that lived in standard cages and those that inhabited a more enriched environment within the ISS. The mice with more stimuli – positively greater movement, more interaction with the environment, or structures that encouraged the use of their hind legs – retained or even gained bone mass.
This data opens a door to hope: It is possible that designing habitats with adequate biomechanical stimuli can mitigatein part, the negative effects of microgravity. In human terms, this could be translated into more “active” spatial stations, more complex exercise routines or even costumes with incorporated mechanical resistance.
What until now was a problem without a solution could find your response in environmental design. The environment, rather than physiology, could be the key to preserving the body in extraterrestrial conditions.
Can this happen to Wilmore and Williams?
For Wilmore and Williams, the return was not a celebration without costs. The images of his descent show Wilmore being evacuated on a stretcher. It is not a protocol gesture: his body, like that of Suni Williams, has lived almost a year without gravity. And according to Dr. Tess Morris-Paterson, The first 14 days in the ISS already suppose a deterioration equivalent to two weeks heading without moving.
The trochanter, a protuberance of the crucial femur for the articulation with the hip, is the most affected point, with a loss of density of 1.56?% Monthly. After 286 days, the accumulated decrease could exceed 40?%. In functional terms, their bones have aged decades in less than a year.
This type of damage not only affects mobility. It also represents a serious medical risk, since a hip fracture in these conditions can have permanent consequences or require months of rehabilitation. However, it is believed that deterioration is not as accelerated as in mice thanks to the difference in size.
As space exploration becomes a priority objective – with plans to establish bases on the moon or reach Mars – these findings must become a priority. The human body has not evolved to float effortlessly. Which allows the wonder of orbiting the earth also threatens the structural basis of those who succeed.
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