Buzz
Every day, it seems more certain that humanity will eventually need to leave the comfort of Earth. Whether it’s just a few of us or the entire species, space travel is destined to play a major role in our future. With influential figures like Elon Musk of SpaceX and Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic pushing the boundaries, we may soon be vacationing among the stars.
Before venturing into the vast unknown, it’s essential to understand how space affects the human body. It won’t be as simple as booking a flight to your dream destination.
10. Space Adaptation Syndrome
Without Earth’s gravity pulling down on your body, you can experience space sickness, also known as space adaptation syndrome. It’s like motion sickness, but with added headaches, confusion, discomfort, and possibly vomiting or vertigo. Around half of those who travel to space suffer from space sickness, so you’re not alone. The sickness is caused not by the lack of gravity, but by the sudden shift in gravitational forces. Once your body adjusts, you’ll be fine. Well, as fine as you can be while flying through the universe in a rocket. The good news is it usually only lasts a few days, so tough it out and try not to vomit in zero gravity. Space puke is worse than you think.
When you suit up for space, you’ll need to wear a transdermal dimenhydrinate anti-nausea patch. Trust me, throwing up in your space suit isn’t just messy and hilarious—it could be dangerous. Picture wearing a fishbowl with a vacuum tube stuck in it for air. Now, imagine throwing up inside it. You’d have trouble with both vision and breathing. And that only worsens when you’re speeding through space in zero gravity.
9. What’s That Smell?
When you think about space travel, you probably don’t consider the odors your nose will encounter on your long journey to what might be your new planetary home. If you do, your imagination is truly unique. So, what does the vast emptiness of space smell like? What magnificence could such a boundless void inspire? According to reports, space smells like seared steak, burning metal, and gunpowder. Have you ever heard anything more fittingly rugged?
Astronaut Don Pettit described it best by saying, 'The best description I can come up with is metallic.'
NASA enlisted chemist Steven Pierce to recreate the distinct scent of space for training purposes. But here’s the big question—why hasn’t Pierce found a way to bottle the smell of space? Imagine being able to make your home smell like Randy Savage’s personal treasure chest.
8. Your Fingernails Are in Danger
This condition is known as fingernail delamination. In a recent study, 22 astronauts reported losing fingernails. So, there’s no need to pack your nail clippers unless you’re a MacGyver-type. In that case, you’d probably rip off your nails just to avoid the excruciating pain of losing them later.
The thick gloves of your space suit restrict blood flow, and the pressure on your fingertips may lead to you losing your nails. In fact, some astronauts have resorted to removing their own fingernails before embarking on a space walk to avoid the inevitable.
7. No More Snoring
You’ll stop snoring. Due to the lack of gravity affecting your respiratory system, there’s a significant decrease in sleep-related breathing issues, which means you'll be at least 20 percent less annoying to your space roommates. Plus, you’ll get to fully enjoy that robust space aroma.
With minimal gravity affecting your tongue, you won’t face the usual blockages that cause snoring back on Earth. Let’s call this one of the few upsides.
6. Vision Troubles
Spending too much time in space will lead to blurred vision. Your eyeball backs flatten slightly, and your retinas undergo some changes as well. It typically doesn’t last, but for some, it can take years to return to normal. Out of 300 astronauts who flew before you, about 23 percent had issues on short-term flights, and 49 percent faced problems on longer missions. If we’re venturing to new planets, about half of you will encounter vision issues... on top of space sickness... and radiation.
In space's weightlessness, fluids in your body shift toward your upper body, and the added pressure in your head may cause slight compression of your optic nerves. Just a little. Don’t worry, this has been an occupational hazard for astronauts for years. Additionally, you'll experience cosmic ray visual phenomena, resulting in flashes of light. Wow, does space travel begin to sound like a rave?
5. Muscle Effects
In space, your primary mode of movement is floating around. With all that floating, your lower body suffers significant bone loss and weakened (sometimes atrophied) muscles. Moreover, your heart may shrink in size because it doesn’t have to work as hard as it does on Earth.
It’s just one of the many side effects of a microgravity environment. All those times you complained about not getting enough exercise? Turns out, you were actually getting a workout by exerting force against Earth’s gravity.
4. Get Ready to Grow Taller
Here’s something to consider: Have you ever wished you were just a bit taller? After your space adventure, your vertebrae will spread apart, causing your spine to lengthen. You’ll return from space looking like Joey Ramone! But don’t worry, once gravity is back, your spine will shrink to its regular size.
The maximum height increase you can expect is about three percent of your original height, and it takes only a few months for you to return to your normal size.
3. The Euphoria of Space
Astronauts have shared deeply transformative and enlightening moments after venturing into space. Charlie Duke expressed, “I was overwhelmed by the certainty that what I was witnessing was part of the universality of God. [...] [I] just choked up. Tears came. It was the most deeply moving experience of my life.”
Edgar Mitchell, observing Earth from his spacecraft, described feeling an immense sense of serenity and joy, entering a state of heightened awareness where he grasped the deeper meaning of the universe.
Gene Cernan shared, “It was too beautiful to happen by accident. There has to be somebody bigger than you, and bigger than me, and I mean this in a spiritual sense, not a religious sense.”
Rusty Schweickart recounted feeling profoundly connected: “Part of everyone and everything sweeping past [me] below. This tiny beautiful Earth—the planet that keeps us alive, which gives us everything we have, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the beauty of nature. And everything is so perfectly balanced and organized so that we can live. This tiny beautiful planet spinning through space.”
So there you have it. Take the leap, head into space, and experience a whole new world. Smell like a true adventurer before your body undergoes dramatic changes and you return as a taller, improved version of yourself.
2. Radiation in Space
On the International Space Station, astronauts are exposed to ten times the radiation levels found on Earth. Our atmosphere, which is thinning, shields us from harmful cosmic radiation. Without it, your nervous system could suffer damage, leading to issues like ‘altered cognitive function, reduced motor function, and behavioral changes.’ Space radiation is also linked to radiation sickness, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and fatigue.
Unfortunately, there's no way to fully shield yourself from space radiation while you're out there. This unavoidable exposure may increase the risk of cancer and other serious diseases. It's one of the hazards that come with the journey, and if you’re leaving Earth behind, it’s something you’ll need to accept.
1. The Dangers of Your Body in the Void of Space
Imagine, for a moment, you're drifting through space without the protection of your suit or the reassuring walls of a spaceship. In this scenario, you’d burn through the oxygen in your blood in roughly 15 seconds, leaving you with just a couple of minutes before irreversible damage sets in. If you hold your breath, the remaining air in your lungs could cause them to expand, bursting and releasing air into your bloodstream. The best thing you can do if you’re ejected from the airlock is to exhale immediately. It may feel wrong, but trust me, it’s not the same as being underwater. Within ten seconds, the water in your body would begin to vaporize from the lack of pressure.
Other unsettling effects include your saliva boiling off, the risk of sunburn, and decompression sickness. Despite the chilling temperatures of space, you won’t freeze immediately. Should you die out there, your body won’t decompose in the vacuum, so whether we leave you floating or retrieve you with a batclaw, we have options. Honestly, floating as an icicle through space doesn’t sound like the worst way to go. Eventually, you'd either freeze or mummify, depending on the temperature, but either way, you’d have plenty of time to think it over.
