Mars alert: Astronauts could suffer permanent damage
Long-term space travel has been found to cause permanent damage to the kidneys. Scientists say this could jeopardize planned missions to Mars.
It has been known since the 1970s that traveling outside the Earth's magnetic field can cause damage to the body.
Astronauts who travel outside the influence of the magnetic field that protects the Earth from solar winds and galactic cosmic radiation can experience problems such as loss of bone mass, weakening of the heart and eyes, and kidney stone formation.
However, not enough is known about the long-term damage caused by these journeys. To fill this gap, researchers from more than 40 institutions conducted the most comprehensive study to date on how kidneys are affected by space travel.
The researchers analyzed data from at least 40 trips by humans and mice to Low Earth Orbit, where the magnetic field retains some degree of influence, as well as simulations with mice and rats.
In these simulations, the animals were exposed to galactic cosmic radiation at the same level as during Mars missions, when they traveled outside the magnetic field for 1.5 to 2.5 years.
Scientists have found that 2.5 years of radiation exposure caused permanent damage to the kidneys of mice and reduced function of the organ. This poses a serious threat to astronauts who are scheduled to make a three-year round trip to Mars.
"If we don't develop new ways to protect the kidneys, an astronaut could make it to Mars but need dialysis on the way back," said Dr. Keith Siew, lead author of the study published in Nature Communications:
We know that the kidneys show signs of radiation damage late; by the time this occurs it will probably be too late to prevent kidney failure, which would be disastrous for the mission's chances of success.
The research team also found that space travel fundamentally changes the way the kidneys process salt, which they believe plays a primary role in the formation of kidney stones. Previously, the only cause of this problem was thought to be the reduction in bone mass caused by the zero-gravity environment.
To date, only 24 people have gone into space without the protection of a magnetic field and have been exposed to galactic cosmic radiation for 6 to 12 days.
However, plans by NASA and organizations such as Elon Musk's SpaceX for a longer journey to Mars require measures to protect the health of astronauts.
Researchers believe that drugs developed for astronauts could make a different contribution, for example by enabling the kidneys of cancer patients to handle more radiation.
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