It’s not because of the speed of light, but a new study has shown that astronauts on long missions age faster than while they are on Earth. The 10-year study into long-term spaceflight was conducted by the University of Calgary and was meant to confirm the effects on the human body going to space. The Wayfinding project explored the effects of microgravity on the neural mechanisms responsible for spatial orientation and navigation skills, and was funded by the Canadian Space Agency. It explored the effects of radiation, stress, isolation and many other factors. It studied 18 astronauts that travelled to the International Space Station between 2016 and 2026. All of the participants engaged in pre-flight assessments and further testing of their cognitive and neurological mechanisms after they came back. Further testing was conducted six months later to determine if any of the immediate effects lingered. The work found an average 40-year-old astronaut, coming back from a six-month mission in outer space, returned with a skeletal, muscular and vascular system similar to a 60-year-old astronaut. “This information is critical for astronauts. Soon, with the development of private space stations, there will opportunities to study the impact of space travel on the health of people like you and me who may actually have the opportunity to go to space as participants of a research study,” said Giuseppe Iaria, PhD, with the U of C’s department of psychology, the lead on the Wayfinder study. The study found that a year of rehab, training and living on Earth was able to reverse the effects by about 50 per cent. The team’s work on “space health” can also help health treatment here on Earth. “For example, doctors studying patients undergoing cancer treatment can apply what is learned about radiation exposure on Earth to those who are exposed in space. Or perhaps scientists studying the effects of isolation or confinement in a clinical study can help understand the impact long-term spaceflight has on astronauts,” officials said. The research can also help with treatment for osteoporosis, immune system disorders, muscle atrophy and more.
