Although humans have no wings, they have invented the platform with their feathers of thought, successfully sent passengers to high altitudes, and sent space warriors into space and the moon, promoting the leapfrog development of science and technology. As the astronaut , who knocked on the door of space, is one out of thousands and is paying attention to it, but do you know the risks and hardships behind their halo?
From the first time that Chinese astronauts entered space in 2003, to the end of 2022, six astronauts met at the domestic space station , and then to the return of " Shenzhou 14 " to the return of " Shenzhou 14 " on December 4, 2022, my country's spacecraft has been giving people constant surprises and excitement in recent years. Topics such as what astronauts usually eat, how to train, what are the differences in space life, what is the working environment in space, what to eat after returning, and why they have to carry them away after landing, etc., attracting attention.
In fact, from various popular science, we know that space is full of temptation and danger. Astronauts always face various challenges, such as walking on thin ice, which is just about physical health. Due to factors such as environmental transformation, gravity, and body self-protection adjustment, the body has to withstand many tests and changes, from head to toe, from outside to inside, from light to heavy.
Here are 6 aspects:
1, face swelling —The human body has always been affected by microgravity . The body fluids in the lower limbs and abdomen quickly fell in love with this unrestrained environment and boldly transferred to the astronaut's head, chest cavity, and neck. At least 2-3 liters of body fluids were transferred to the upper body in reverse. Judging from the visual perception, the astronaut's face became fat and swollen, and the feeling in space was not obvious, but it took a long time to adapt and adjust after returning to Earth.
2, heart shrinkage —In normal environment, the heart is roughly equated with the size of a personal fist, but in space for a long time, the upper body venous pressure and capillary increased, which reduced the volume of plasma , reduced the peripheral resistance of flow, and reduced the volume of the astronaut's heart automatically adjusted. One of its direct effects is that it is unstable to stand after returning to the earth, poor endurance, and needs to be carried away.
3, vision loss —Astronauts are selected by pilots, and their vision is definitely better than ordinary people. However, in space for a long time, the back of the eyeball is squeezed, the optic disc swells, and the optic nerve fiber layer becomes thicker, and it is adapted to the lighting of the space station. After returning to the earth, it is disturbed by natural light, and close vision will decrease, and special eye protection equipment is needed. Data shows that more than 60% of astronauts have symptoms of vision loss.
4, bone and flesh degeneration - On the one hand, bones no longer need to stretch and fix the effect in weightless environments, and they don’t need to fight gravity when standing. They quickly learn to be lazy. In just about 10 days, the muscles will be reduced by 20%. In daily life, muscles are closely related to lifespan, immunity, . On the other hand, the calcium in the bones is gradually lost, with the pelvis and spine at most, about 1.5% per month, which increases the probability of fracture after returning to the earth. Some calcium will be reabsorbed by the human body, which will also bring about calcification problems, and may even be at risk of kidney stones .
5, vascular sclerosis - When lose weight , the human blood volume and return blood volume slowly decrease, and the cardiovascular regulation nerves and body fluids change. The most direct impact is that the arteries are much harder than before performing a mission in the upper space. Vascular sclerosis can cause blood pressure to rise. The hardening effect of 6 months in space is equivalent to 10-20 years on the ground.
6, foot deformation - In the ground environment, the feet are mainly used to support and bear stress, but in space, the feet should also serve as the "stabilizer" of the body, and often hook fixed railings and belts to prevent the body from "floating". Over time, the toes are worn and the skin is called out, just like "lizard feet". At present, special space socks can only be used to assist in relief.
Moreover, even if the astronauts return to the ground safely, the body fluids that have adapted to the gravity environment of space will be redistributed in the body; the spine is "care" and "pressed" by the earth's gravity again, the tendons and ligaments near the spine become loose and tight, and the neck and back are uncomfortable and painful; the knee joints and pelvis are trying to fight the pressure of gravity, and the blood supply to the head is insufficient, and headaches, dizziness, etc. will occur, which will test one after another.
As the exploration of space continues to advance, the work of assisting astronauts to adapt to the test of weightlessness as soon as possible is also constantly improving. For example, astronauts exercise in space in time to prevent muscles and bones from deteriorating, drinking appropriate amount of liquid before returning, reducing discomfort after landing, etc.
In short, the hardships and tests that astronauts have paid for are unimaginable, and they deserve full respect.
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