In the 2030s, NASA and other space agencies will send astronauts to Mars for the first time in history. However, this presents numerous challenges from the logistics and technical aspects to the food and water and even the waste management of astronauts on the Red Planet.
But most importantly, their health and safety are widely discussed as they will spend months traveling through space and be exposed to cosmic radiation and microgravity. There are also concerns that they might find it difficult to adapt to the gravity on Mars after months of microgravity while traveling.
How Be Different Will Human Body When on Mars? Scientists Use Mathematical Model To Predict if It Is Safe for Astronauts to Go to the Red Planet
Mathematical Model Predicts How Astronauts Will Perform on Mars
According to a press release, a team of space medicine experts from the Australian National University (ANU) developed a mathematical model to predict whether astronauts will be safe on the Red Planet and how they will perform their duties there.
Their mathematical model could help prepare for the trip before astronauts set their foot on Mars and could also be used to assess the impact of both short- and long-term space missions that take humans beyond the Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Their paper, titled "Computational modeling of orthostatic intolerance for travel to Mars," published in the scientific journal npj Microgravity, reveals the potential hazards for missions bound for Mars and emphasizes that time spent in microgravity is the greatest threat that astronauts will face.
Combined with the damaging cosmic radiation, the experience of traveling to Mars will significantly change the human body. Extensive research aboard the International Space Station (ISS) reveals that microgravity can cause muscle and bone density loss and damage some organs, eyesight, and the cardiopulmonary system.
According to Science Alert, it will take approximately sick to seven months to Mars, and prolonged exposure to zero gravity could cause blood vessels or the heart to change and become lazy because it does not have to work as hard to overcome gravity, unlike here on Earth.
Co-author Dr. Emma Tucker noted that this would result in frequent toilet visits as the body excrete extra fluid. But they will not feel thirsty and do not drink as much water, leading to dehydration in space. That is why astronauts from ISS faint or need to be transported using wheelchairs when they set foot on Earth after months.
The longer they stay in space, the higher the chance they will collapse upon their return to Earth, and it is more difficult to readjust to Earth's gravity.
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Why do Scientists Want to Explore Mars?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System and has a gravity of only 38% on Earth. Past observations reveal that the planet underwent a dramatic transformation and that it was probably rather Earth-like before it became what it is today, according to National Geographic.
Despite its smaller size, the land area is equivalent to the continents here on Earth, which means that the Red Planet could have the same amount of habitable real estate. More so, scientists believe that there is water on Mars locked away into the planet's icy polar caps beneath the Martian surface.
Lastly, exploring Mars could add more insights into the climate shifts that altered the planet, which might also give clues that it once hosted life. If so, learning about the planet will help better equip future missions that will try to make a living there possible.
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