Human health during space travel: An overview

Kandarpa, Krishna; Schneider, Victor; Ganapathy, Krishnan

doi:10.4103/0028-3886.259123

Cited by 28 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The outer space environment is an extremely dangerous environment filled with more threats than the terrestrial environment 16 . Common variation factors include weightlessness, intense radiation, extreme cold, and hypoxia 17 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of combined environmental factors on the intestinal flora of mice based on ground simulation experiments

Sun

Yang

Wang

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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The composition and function of intestinal microbial communities are important for human health. However, these intestinal floras are sensitive to changes in the environment. Adverse changes to intestinal flora can affect the health of astronauts, resulting in difficulties in implementing space missions. We randomly divided mice into three groups and placed each group in either a normal environment, simulated microgravity environment or a combined effects environment, which included simulated microgravity, low pressure and noise. Fecal samples of the mice were collected for follow-up analysis based on metagenomics technology. With the influence of different space environmental factors, the species composition at the phylum and genus levels were significantly affected by the combined effects environment, especially the abundance of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Furthermore, screening was conducted to identify biomarkers that could be regarded as environmental markers. And there have also been some noticeable changes in the function of intestinal floras. Moreover, the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was also found to be changed under different environmental conditions, such as bacitracin and vancomycin. The combined effects environment could significantly affect the species composition, function, and the expression of ARGs of intestinal flora of mice which may provide a theoretical basis for space medical supervision and healthcare.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of combined environmental factors on the intestinal flora of mice based on ground simulation experiments

Sun

Yang

Wang

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…The unique environment during spaceflight affects various physiological functions in astronauts [1,2]. With increasing opportunities for human spaceflight, a better understanding of the effects of spaceflight on the human body at the molecular level is essential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated RNA-seq Analysis Indicates Asynchrony in Clock Genes between Tissues under Spaceflight

Fujita

Rutter

Ong

et al. 2020

Life

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Rodent models have been widely used as analogs for estimating spaceflight-relevant molecular mechanisms in human tissues. NASA GeneLab provides access to numerous spaceflight omics datasets that can potentially generate novel insights and hypotheses about fundamental space biology when analyzed in new and integrated fashions. Here, we performed a pilot study to elucidate space biological mechanisms across tissues by reanalyzing mouse RNA-sequencing spaceflight data archived on NASA GeneLab. Our results showed that clock gene expressions in spaceflight mice were altered compared with those in ground control mice. Furthermore, the results suggested that spaceflight promotes asynchrony of clock gene expressions between peripheral tissues. Abnormal circadian rhythms are associated not only with jet lag and sleep disorders but also with cancer, lifestyle-related diseases, and mental disorders. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of elucidating the causes of circadian rhythm disruptions using the unique approach of space biology research to one day potentially develop countermeasures that benefit humans on Earth and in space.

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“…Gravity is also needed to sustain the biochemical and biophysiological function of humans and other biotic lifeforms. The mostly anecdotal and observational results of life-science research in gravitational orbit around Earth (e.g., see example reviews provided by Kandarpa et al, 2019;Kordyum and Hasenstein, 2021;Bijlani et al, 2021) provide evidence that living things do not function in the same way or at the same level of performance and efficiency in an inertial free-fall reference frame where there is gravity without apparent weight and centripetal force without apparent centrifugal force. Even with a space capsule…”

Section: Dissipative Structures and Power Conditionalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pancosmorio (world limit) theory of the sustainability of human migration and settlement in space

Irons

2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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It seems to be an accepted assumption that human migration into space is inevitable. However, almost 60 years of scientific studies of the effects of space on Earth life suggest this is not a given. Life on Earth evolved in the context of conditions that are unique to Earth and are not duplicated anywhere else in our solar system. The science indicates that life-sustaining conditions on Earth could be the very things that inhibit our ability to live off-Earth. This paper combines 100 years of scientific development of a theory of ecological thermodynamics with classical mechanics theory and analytical models of self-restoring heat engines to explain how the Sun and Earth have evolved into islands of order in the entropy of space. An explanation is provided regarding how naturally occurring conservative force fields engage a diversity of natural resources in semi-reversible cycles that build a high-exergy ecosphere. The science infers that the ability to establish a human settlement in space without Earth-like self-restoring order, capacity, and organization will result in settlement sustainment challenges. Historical evidence of Earth settlements with disrupted ecosystems point to the following possibilities. Supply chains would disappear, market resources would be depleted, advancement in human pursuits would be disrupted, social and governance systems would falter or collapse, human population numbers would decline, genetic diversity in the human genome would be lost, average human individual biomass would decrease, and human knowledge and understanding would be forgotten. What does it mean to have a location in space outside of Earth be “like Earth?” The results of research are presented as a pancosmorio theory ofhuman sustainability that is developed using the scientific philosophy methodology of abductive reasoning. Four analytical models of space ecosphere sustainability and five hypotheses with proposed tests for falsifiability are provided, including a theorem that suggests a limit to human expansion into space. A new quantitative method of human sustainability is developed from theories of network ecology, providing orthogonal properties of an ecosystem network stability function based upon an ecosystem network production function. Conclusions are made regarding the potential for sustainable development in space using balanced sustainability. Insights are provided regarding human endeavors on the Moon and Mars, as well as the Fermi paradox.

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Human health during space travel: An overview

Cited by 28 publications

References 4 publications

The effects of combined environmental factors on the intestinal flora of mice based on ground simulation experiments

The effects of combined environmental factors on the intestinal flora of mice based on ground simulation experiments

Integrated RNA-seq Analysis Indicates Asynchrony in Clock Genes between Tissues under Spaceflight

Pancosmorio (world limit) theory of the sustainability of human migration and settlement in space

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