Mission to Mars: how space exploration pushes the human body to its limits

The prospect of human missions to Mars, a journey lasting around three years, presents unprecedented challenges to the human body, pushing its biological limits due to factors such as radiation, isolation, weightlessness, and confinement. Space, a vacuum with extreme radiation and temperature fluctuations, is inherently hostile to human physiology, which evolved under Earth's specific atmospheric pressure and gravity. Understanding these stresses, collectively termed the "space exposome," involves mapping how radiation, weightlessness, disrupted sleep, and isolation interact and amplify, revealing the intricate network of physiological connections that sustain an astronaut, known as the "holistic astronaut." The design of spacesuits, essential for survival, embodies a delicate physiological balance, protecting astronauts from the vacuum while allowing movement. Radiation, a ... download the app to read more