• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Everything that happens to the human body in space as two astronauts left stranded for 7 weeks

Home> News> Science

Updated 20:06 26 Jul 2024 GMT+1Published 20:07 26 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Everything that happens to the human body in space as two astronauts left stranded for 7 weeks

There are a few health issues that can arise after being in space for a long period

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair

I'm sure it's not a thought you'd ever have to worry about, I'm sure.

But for NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore, 61, and Sunita Williams, 58, it's their reality at the moment.

The two are currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), after Boeing's Starliner capsule ran into a number of technical issues.

The pair have been onboard the ISS since they launched from Florida, US, on 6 June.

Advert

Sent up by the Starliner, the astronauts docked and were meant to carry out a test mission that would last over a week until running into problems, as the Starliner's faulty thrusters and a number of helium leaks brought concerns over safety.

The astronauts are waiting for news from travel giants Boeing and NASA to conjure a solution to the issue, but engineers are still lost on what the problem is.

So until that is determined, the astronauts are stuck up there, orbiting the Earth.

NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that there is no set return date just yet, explaining: "We don't have a major announcement today relative to a return date.

"We're making great progress, but we're just not quite ready to do that.

"Our focus today...is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner. I think we're starting to close in on those final pieces of the fight rationale to make sure we can come home safely and that's our primary focus right now.

"We’ll come home when we’re ready."

But after such a long amount of time in space, what happens to the body?

The astronauts are currently stuck in space. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
The astronauts are currently stuck in space. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Well, according to the Lead of Life Sciences at the European Space Agency, Angelique Van Ombergen, a few things happen.

Calling space a 'hostile environment' for the body, Van Ombergen explains in a YouTube short: "When astronauts spend several months in space, they can lose up to 20% of their muscle mass, and also their bone density decreases.

"Since the whole body is exposed to microgravity, the heart doesn't need to pump around as much blood as it used to on Earth and the cardiovascular system deteriorates," she revealed.

Van Ombergen said that in their first few days in space, astronauts can experience 'acute motion sickness', while over time, radiation from the Sun could cause DNA damage.

Being stuck in the ISS could have some detrimental effects for the astronauts. (Getty Stock Photo)
Being stuck in the ISS could have some detrimental effects for the astronauts. (Getty Stock Photo)

This could increase the risk of cancer and could even cause cardiovascular degeneration.

It can also have an impact on the astronaut's mental health, as the health expert added: "Being confined in a small space, far away from family and friends, can also have a negative impact on human psychology."

She concludes by saying that the ISS gives them a great opportunity to study and better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body and how to improve the experience and treat it when they're back on Earth.

Featured Image Credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP / Getty Stock Photo

Topics: Space, Science, Health, NASA

Joshua Nair
Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair is a journalist at LADbible. Born in Malaysia and raised in Dubai, he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects, from sports to trending pop culture news. After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media, Journalism and Publishing, he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible. Unfortunately, he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United, which takes its toll on his mental and physical health. Daily.

X

@joshnair10

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
    6 hours ago

    Elon Musk issues worrying prediction about 'living forever' as he says reverse ageing 'is highly likely'

    The SpaceX founder made the prediction at the World Economic Forum in Davos

    News
  • Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    White House responds as changes to bruising on Trump's hand go viral

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed what caused the nasty-looking lesion on Trump's left hand

    News
  • MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Astronaut had major realisation about humanity when looking down at Earth from space

    NASA's Suni Williams experienced the 'overview effect' from space

    News
  • Getty Stock Images
    8 hours ago

    Reality of what happens when you drink hot water as 'health hack' goes viral

    It is the latest so-called wellness tip that is taking social media users by storm

    News
  • Exactly what happens to the human body in space as ISS crew makes emergency landing after five months
  • How NASA will bring astronauts home after first ever evacuation of International Space Station
  • What happens to your body after spending long time in space as doctor made sad admission about stranded astronauts
  • NASA triggers first evacuation of International Space Station in history and cancels mission