Spending time in space and having unparalleled views of Earth is a dream experience for many. However, the human body evolved to function under Earth's gravitational environment. Therefore, time spent in the weightless environment of space can take years to fully recover from.
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03-20, 2025Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), but the mission unexpectedly turned into a mandatory nine-month stay. Now, their recovery period begins. Professor Damian Bailey, who studies human physiology at the University of South Wales, said: "Space is by far the most extreme environment humans have encountered, and we haven't evolved to cope with those extremes."
Going into space changes the human body, and initially it feels great. Astronaut Tim Peake, who traveled to the International Space Station in 2015, said: "It feels like a holiday. Your heart is relaxed, your muscles and bones are relaxed. You're floating around the space station in this wonderful zero-gravity environment." Imagine spending weeks lying in bed, never having to get up - this is actually a technique scientists use to study the effects of zero gravity - and you'll understand the point.
But, for muscles, it's a case of use it or lose it. Even a simple standing action requires muscles throughout your body to support you upright. This doesn't happen in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. When everything is almost weightless, muscle strength means something different. The heart and blood vessels also have it easier because they no longer have to fight gravity to pump blood, so they begin to weaken. Bones also become more fragile. There should be a balance between cells that break down old bone and cells that make new bone. But, without feedback and resistance against gravity, this balance is disrupted.
Professor Bailey said: "Each month, about 1% of bone and muscle is lost - it's accelerated aging." This effect becomes obvious when returning to Earth. That's why astronauts are in optimal physical condition when they go into space. Then, their daily activities include two hours of exercise - a combination of treadmill, cycling and weightlifting - to maintain muscle and bone health as much as possible. Now, Suni and Butch will begin an intensive exercise program to restore the function they have lost.
Dr. Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space, said: "It may take them months to recover muscle mass." Bone mass may take "years" to recover - but even then, "there are still subtle changes in the type of bone that we rebuild after we return to Earth that may never fully return to normal." But that's just muscles and bones - space changes the whole body. Even the types of beneficial bacteria that live in our bodies - the microbiome - change. Fluids in the body also shift in microgravity. Instead of being pulled down to the legs as on Earth, fluid drifts upward to the chest and face. Facial puffiness is one of the earliest obvious changes to the body. But this can also cause brain swelling and changes in the eyes, including the optic nerve, retina, and even the shape of the eye. This "spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome" can cause blurred vision and even irreversible damage.
Microgravity also distorts the vestibular system, which is how you balance and perceive which way is up. In space, there is no up or down or sideways. You may feel disoriented when you go up - and when you return to Earth as well. Tim Peake said: "The initial stage of stopping feeling dizzy, regaining your balance and having the strength to walk normally is only two or three days. The first two or three days back on Earth can be really tough."
