Study Kidneys May Struggle on Mars Journey

TapTechNews June 18 news, the latest study published in Nature Communications shows that in addition to overcoming various technical challenges to land on Mars, the human body is also an important obstacle, and the kidneys may not be able to bear the long journey to the Red Planet.

The study comes from the scientific team of University College London. It is found that long-term space flight will change the structure and function of the kidneys, and the radiation in the universe will cause permanent damage to the kidneys.

TapTechNews consults NASA's launch plan. It takes 6 months from rocket launch to reaching the Mars orbit, plus adjustments, and determining the landing time and place, which also requires 3 more months, a total of 9 months, 270 days.

This study is by far the largest-scale analysis of kidney health during space flight and also provides the first health data set for commercial astronauts.

The lead author of this study, Dr. Keith Siew of the London Tubular Center of the Department of Renal Medicine at the University College London School of Medicine, said: If we don't develop new ways to protect the kidneys, I think although astronauts can reach Mars, they may need dialysis on the return trip.

In order to study the health impact faced by humans under long-term space radiation, a research team composed of researchers from more than 40 institutions on five continents led by the University of California, Los Angeles, used the data and samples of 20 research cohorts to conduct a series of experiments, including biomolecular, physiological and anatomical evaluations.

The research team also conducted 11 space simulations involving mice and rats, of which 7 times mice were exposed to a simulated GCR dose environment equivalent to a 1.5-year and 2.5-year Mars mission.

It is found that the kidneys of humans and animals will be remodeled under such long-term space radiation, and the tubular tissue responsible for fine-tuning the calcium salt balance shows signs of atrophy in less than 1 month.

The senior author of this study, Professor Stephen Walsh, believes that shielding space radiation is not very realistic, but hopes that with the in-depth study of kidney biology, maybe some technical or drug measures can be developed to facilitate long-term space travel.

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