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The Vision of Space Flight
Topic Started: Feb 11 2012, 08:54 AM (115 Views)
George K
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Finally
Consequences of prolonged space flight that we've not considered:

Quote:
 
Astronaut feels space's toll on his body

It’s not really why he signed up to be an astronaut, but like it or not, Mike Barratt and his eyes have become a science project.

The eye charts he reads, the red drops that turn his eyes yellow and the ultrasounds being performed on him could determine whether he or any other astronaut ever journeys into deep space or sets foot on other worlds.

NASA’s new priority is how to protect astronauts from going blind on the years-long trip to get wherever they are going.

“I absolutely agree that this is our number one priority,” Barratt said.

Why?

Because when Barratt blasted off to the international space station, he needed eyeglasses for distance. When he returned to Earth, his distance vision was fine, but he needed reading glasses. That was more than two years ago. And he’s not getting better.

“We really need to understand this. This is a critical point for understanding how humans adapt to spaceflight,” he said.

In the past few years, about half of the astronauts aboard the international space station have developed an increasing pressure inside their heads, an intracranial pressure that reshapes their optic nerve, causing a significant shift in the eyesight of male astronauts. Doctors call it papilledema.

Female space travelers have not been affected.

Some of the astronauts slowly recover. Others have not.

Space station astronauts typically spend about six months in orbit.

Barratt is one of 10 male astronauts, all older than 45, who have not recovered. Barratt returned from a six-month stint aboard the station in October 2009 and has experienced a profound change in his sight.

He used to be nearsighted. But now, the space veteran says he’s eagle-eyed at long distance but needs glasses for reading. There is no treatment and no answers as to why female space flyers are not affected.

CNN spent part of a day with Barratt, watching as doctors monitored his progress with high-resolution testing as they try to understand how the weightless environment of space is causing half of all space station astronauts to have this vision change. Today, space station astronauts fly with specially designed variable focus glasses to help combat the vision shift.

“The big benefit of these is that they allow us to adjust for significant prescription changes,” said Dr. Robert Gibson, a senior vision consultant, who was brought in to help study the problem.

Doctors have found that Barratt’s retinas have microscopic folds or wrinkles on them, and the back of his eye, the optic nerve, is no longer round but has flattened.

“I think this is showing that there are physiologic aspects of adaption to spaceflight we weren’t seeing before,” said Barratt.

This raises a red flag for all of NASA’s plans for long-duration human space flight. The space station is supposed to be the test bed for how humans would learn to live in space, but it opens profound questions on whether humans will ever venture to Mars or to an asteroid if they are unable to figure out how the outer-space environment is affecting the eyes.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
I can't read this. Huh.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Mikhailoh
Feb 11 2012, 11:08 AM
I can't read this. Huh.
Ground control to major Mik, your eyes are shot, they might be sick!
Can you read this, major Mik??
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Aqua Letifer
Feb 11 2012, 07:19 PM
Mikhailoh
Feb 11 2012, 11:08 AM
I can't read this. Huh.
Ground control to major Mik, your eyes are shot, they might be sick!
Can you read this, major Mik??
:lol2: :lol2:
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Interesting.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Heeeere am I sitting in my room's can
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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