The health and safety of astronauts is one of the many challenges of space travel. The missions are more significant the farther they go from Earth. There is a risk of long-term exposure to solar and cosmic radiation. Long-term exposure to microgravity can be mitigated with proper shielding, but there are few other ways to deal with it.
A strict regimen of exercise and resistance training is used by astronauts on the International Space Station. Effects on cardiovascular health, gene expression, and the central nervous system are included. Artificial gravity will be required for long-duration missions to Mars and other locations in deep space. The study looked at the effects of microgravity on fruit flies and found that artificial gravity protects against some of the changes.
The Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, the University of Nevada, and the University of New Mexico were involved in the study. Their paper was published in the journal Cell Reports.
The team used the Multi-use Variable-gravity Platform (MVP) to conduct a month-long investigation. The flies are provided with fresh food as they live and reproduce. The flies were housed under different levels of gravity with one exposed to microgravity and the other to Earth-like gravity.
The researchers used cameras embedded in the hardware to observe their behavior. Some flies were frozen and sent back to Earth to be analyzed to see how different levels of gravity affected their genes. Dr. Janani Iyer is a project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center.
“Microgravity poses risks to the central nervous system, suggesting that countermeasures may be needed for long-duration space travel. As we venture back to the Moon and on to Mars, reducing the harmful effects of microgravity will be key to keeping future explorers safe. This study is a step in the right direction to explore the protective effects of artificial gravity in space and to understand the adaptation to Earth conditions after returning from space.”
Fruit flies are ideal for this kind of research because of their similarities to humans and their short lifespans. Fruit flies share 75% of the genes that cause disease in humans, which means that changes in their genes will look similar to changes in humans. The amount of time they spend in space is equivalent to thirty years of a human's life.
The flies were sent to NASA Ames for further analysis after the experiment was completed. Scientists conducted behavioral and biochemical tests on theflyonauts, which included monitoring their movements inside their habitat, cellular changes in their brains, how changes in gene expression affected their nervous systems, and more. They compared the results of their observations with those of a control group that had not left Earth.
The scientists looked at how the flies climbed the walls of their container. They found that flies in microgravity were more active than those that were exposed to artificial gravity, but that it was difficult to climb back on Earth. The flies exposed to microgravity experienced neurological changes, while those exposed to artificial gravity faced less severe challenges once they returned.
The results show that spaceflight causes stress that leads to negative behavioral and neurological effects. Artificial gravity can be used to mitigate the effects of spaceflight, though there are still long-term challenges. These results offer an approximation and are a good starting point for future research. The author of the paper was Dr. Siddhita Mhatre, a senior scientist at Ames.
“With the upcoming long-duration deep space missions, where astronauts will be exposed to varying levels of gravity, it is imperative that we understand the impacts of altered gravity on the neurological function. If we can use artificial gravity to delay space-related deficits, maybe we can extend the future mission timelines. And flies in space, alongside the astronauts, will help to further our efforts in keeping astronauts healthy.”
Artificial gravity is being investigated by NASA for space stations. The NASA concept study titled "Non-Atmospheric Universal Transport for Lengthy United States Exploration" is an example. The demonstration module could be used as a sleep module for the crew of the International Space Station. The module is 30 feet in diameter and has an interior diameter of 2.5 feet.
It was intended to provide a proof-of-concept for a larger torus that could be used in a possible space exploration vehicle. The importance of health and safety measures for astronauts is highlighted in this concept. Artificial gravity may become a feature of space stations and even surface habitats as NASA and other space agencies send astronauts to the Moon to stay this time.
Cell reports from NASA.
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