Astronauts

A new analytical tool suggests distinct microbiome changes caused by spaceflight are most likely caused by microgravity.

Red wine may have health benefits against cancer, obesity, aging, and even cavities. Now, a new study may add muscle loss to the list. In tests on rats, a Harvard team found that a red wine compound called resveratrol could help keep astronauts toned during trips in space or life on Mars.

Space travel is conducive to injuries. Now researchers from Dresden Technical University (TUD) have developed a 3D bioprinting method for use in space, creating new skin and bone tissue out of resources that might be available to astronauts.

Most oxygen in the universe isn’t in the form that we need to breathe: molecular oxygen, or O2. Now, researchers at Caltech claim to have created a reactor that can turn carbon dioxide into molecular oxygen, which could help us fight climate change here on Earth or generate oxygen for life in space.

NASA has conducted a comprehensive study comparing the genes and biology of identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly, after Scott spent almost a year in space while Mark stayed on Earth as a control. And now the results of that study have finally been released.

The lack of gravity in space means that muscles begin to waste away, and scientists have been studying these health effects on Earth with extended bed-rest experiments. In the latest, those beds will be put in a centrifuge to mimic artificial gravity, to see if that can help offset the issues.

A recent NASA-funded study has found dormant viruses can reactivate in the human body during spaceflight, presenting yet another physiological problem for scientists to solve before we journey out into deep space.

For both skydivers and astronauts, a spin can be a fatal mistake, so engineering firm Draper is working on an anti-spin device to bring them automatically back to stability. Using a network of sensors and gyroscopes,the new system detects a dangerous rotation and generates a counter-torque.

In more bad news for future voyagers to Mars, a team of scientists has found that the cosmic rays that astronauts will encounter on long space voyages can cause heavy damage to their GI tract. Using animal tissue, they found that the radiation produces both immediate and long term health problems.

A big challenge humanity faces in venturing off Earth and into deep space is how to tackle the dangers of cosmic radiation.​ A team has now discovered a drug treatment that could not only prevent cognitive deficits caused by this radiation, but actually repair damage in the brain after exposure.

It's a nightmare scenario. An unconscious astronaut on a spacewalk gone wrong floats off into deep space with no way to get back. To prevent this, engineering firm Draper has patented a "take me home" rescue system that allows a disabled astronaut to return to safety at the push of a button.

Overpacking isn't exactly an option for trips into space, even for longer trips like an eventual manned mission to Mars. Now, researchers are recruiting microorganisms to solve the problem, by engineering them to make nutrients and 3D-printable plastics out of human waste.