Will humans live long in space?

Many space powers are planning to bring people to the Moon and Mars. It will be very long and expensive journeys. But a very important issue is whether our body is suitable for those journeys?

Can people live long in the universe?

You may be wondering: are the astronauts still going back and forth on the space stations? Exactly. However these are "short-term" , long-term and challenging trips with a trip to Mars. At the ISS station, if anything was missing, the astronauts could absolutely ask for the ground to be sent later. And astronauts can go back to the surface if they have health problems without waiting too long. But with a long journey and unable to "return midway" as on Mars (expected to last a year), astronauts who encounter "malfunctions" can only "self-treat" . Therefore, predicting all possible risk situations is a very important thing before bringing people to Mars.

The problem comes from within

There are many problems that are set out. But one problem that few people think of in the space travel story is . the microbiota in the human body ! Bacteria play a very important role in regulating biological reactions. And if the important bacteria lose their numbers or die, you may have a lot of trouble. Imagine that you may have diarrhea because some bacteria that support intestinal digestion are consumed by the use of antibiotics, on a "helpless " ship in the cold space, it will be a situation. who wants to face

So one of NASA's research programs is evaluating the change of the microbiota in the human body when taking long-term space travel to see how much we are "ready". for such conditions.

According to the American Society of Microbiology, the number of bacteria in the human body is more than 10 times the number of our own cells! Therefore, bacteria play a very important role in human life. And to say no, we can see that we live "healthy" because of the bacteria. This collection of microscopic microorganisms is called the microbiome, which scientists also call them the "second genome" of humans.

Small creatures have an important role in human life.

For example, the microflora is in the human digestive system. This microflora helps our digestive system stay healthy and stable. Even this organism can affect how people choose their own food. Microbiomes play an important role in a number of diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and even autism.

Sometimes, these microorganisms also protect us from harmful diseases and bacteria, helping us digest food and greatly impact the mood and emotions of each person.

That is the main reason why NASA is interested in studying the activity of bacteria inside astronauts' bodies, especially in a zero gravity environment. Because their change is likely to change astronauts' temperament, making decisions that are not conducive to the mission.

Initial research

Currently, NASA is conducting research on the activity of bacteria in the human body on the ISS station . NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko of Russian space agency Roscosmos have spent a year here for feasible studies of the mission to explore Mars. They are expected to return to Earth in the spring of 2016.

One of the biggest problems on the ISS in particular and the journeys in space in general today, is the lack of fresh food . People often add microorganisms through the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables and probiotics such as fermented yogurt. However, living in outer space is a completely different story. Nearly all conditions that support plant growth and development are difficult to meet.

Space life has many challenges.

This is the motivation for NASA to invest heavily in research projects on how to plant on ISS in recent years. In addition, the agency is investigating the effect of microbiome deficiency in Kelly and Korniyenko's body.

To carry out the study, NASA periodically sampled substances from both astronauts' bodies, including blood, saliva, digestive fluids, sweat, body samples, and specimens. water and drinking water samples. Through these substances, scientists can determine not only the diet but also the stresses and effects of the weightless environment on microbial populations in the two astronauts. .

Based on the findings, NASA's health team will easily understand and come up with measures to prevent the microbiome decline in the human body. It is the main cause of reduced metabolic function and infection caused by an increase in harmful bacteria.

In the future, if people successfully study how to control the amount of microorganisms in the body. This will be an extremely important step to bring people closer to the dream of conquering endless space.