Space Tourists Experience Similar Body Changes to Astronauts, Studies Reveal

New research released Tuesday suggests space tourists have some of the same physical changes as astronauts who spend months in orbit. Researchers reported that once space passengers returned to Earth, these modifications largely returned to normal.

A molecular-level study on the health impacts of space travel examined four space passengers. According to a report published by ABC News, researchers claimed the findings clarify how non-astronauts adapt to weightlessness and space radiation.

University of Michigan mechanical engineering professor Allen Liu, who was not involved in the research, remarked that the study will help prepare experts better for "sending humans into space" for any purpose.

NASA and other agencies have examined the effects of space flight on astronauts, including ISS inhabitants. Space visitors, however, have received less attention. The first tourist visit to the space station occurred in 2001, and private space flight has grown.

Susan Bailey, a radiation expert at Colorado State University, said a three-day chartered flight in 2021 allowed researchers to study how rapidly the body adjusts to spaceflight.

The four SpaceX Inspiration4 passengers took blood, saliva, skin, and other samples in orbit. Researchers identified extensive cell and immune system alterations in the samples. Most of these changes stabilized in the months after the four returned home, and the researchers identified no health risks from short-term spaceflight.

Weill Cornell Medicine researcher and co-author Chris Mason said it was the first time to conduct a "cell-by-cell examination of a crew," which would help scientists identify what treatments or precautions to take to safeguard future space passengers.

How Does Short Space Voyage Impact the Body?

Billionaire captain Jared Isaacman financed Inspiration 4, which showed that space is accessible without training. Four civilian astronauts received many medical exams. During the voyage, 29-year-old nurse Hayley Arceneaux called a skin biopsy scar her "space scar."

In one study, all four patients' telomeres grew considerably in space but recovered to near their original lengths within months after returning to Earth. According to Susan Bailey of Colorado State University, tackling this problem might help prevent aging.

Mason said humans can "safely get to Mars and back," but space radiation concerns limit the number of trips, according to NonStop Local. Research indicated that mice exposed to 2.5 years of space radiation had lasting kidney damage. Without new protective measures, astronauts returning from Mars may need dialysis, according to Keith Siew of the London Tubular Centre.

Mason also suggested that childbirth-related physiological modifications may make female astronauts more tolerant of spaceflight hardship. Nevertheless, he called the latest discovery "really good news" for future space explorers.

Virgin Galactic Spaceplane Takes Flight

Virgin Galactic reported that it sent four people to the edge of space and returned on its spaceplane, marking Richard Branson's firm's second flight of the year, as recently reported by Reuters.

On Saturday, the Galactic 07 voyage sent passengers from Turkey, the US, and Italy to 55 miles (88.51 km) altitude in slightly over an hour. The Virgin Galactic mission was launched in Spaceport America in Mexico and returned to the same location.

This was Virgin Galactic's last commercial flight of the VSS Unity. Virgin Galactic said it is concentrating on its fourth-generation spacecraft, which will commence commercial operation in 2026.