Posted on 04/18/2019 12:56:03 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Astronaut Christina Koch will spend nearly a year aboard the International Space Station, NASA announced on Wednesday, with her return trip delayed to February 2020. During her 11 months in space, she will monitor how her body responds to the mission, producing much-needed data about how well human bodies can withstand the dangers and hardships of long-term spaceflight.
So far, that data has been difficult to come by. Standard space station missions last about six and a half months, and only a handful of NASA astronauts have stayed in orbit longer than 200 days in a single spaceflight. That's problematic for an agency that has its sights set on human journeys to Mars — a six- to eight-month flight in each direction — within a decade or two. Koch's long mission in Earth orbit could offer peace of mind about what the impacts of such a journey might be; it could also shed light on how men and women respond differently to spaceflight, NASA officials said.
Although the extended mission came about to accommodate the week-long visit of an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, NASA was eager to jump on the opportunity of having a crewmember on board the station for an extended stay.
To date, just three NASA astronauts have remained on board the space station for more than 200 days straight. Scott Kelly holds the NASA record after a 340-day visit, Peggy Whitson completed a 289-day spaceflight and Michael Lopez-Alegria flew 215 days straight.
And while long-term spaceflight data is rare enough, doctors said Koch's mission extension could offer something even rarer: a better understanding of how sex-based differences affect a body's response to spaceflight. About 12% of spacefarers to date have been women. But men's and women's bodies are built differently and have different chemical balances.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
My 2nd thought. :-)
Laz would hit it...for science.
I read recently about astronaut Kelly, who has a twin brother , who is also an astronaut, who spent almost a year in space. And they were study effects on him compared to his twin who remained on Earth.
It makes sense that the longer in space, the more effects, possibly negative effects, will be seen.
That’s who I thought it was!
Although mark spent less time in space, his cranial cavity became filled with dumanium and he became a rabid anti gun POS. Well except if he and gabby want them. And he’s running for the senate in AZ next cycle. What a disgrace to his Navy uniform and the oath he lied about.
LIES!!! MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL I SAY!!! SCIENCE DENIERS!!!
Coming soon to a college campus near you.
The Vomit Comet.
You beat me to it.
It will wreak hell on her bones, I suspect.
Just watched the end of Archer season 3. Ah, the Vomit Comet.
It was already there about 30 years ago.
And, she had long curly hair that gummed up an experiment. The rest of the crew covered for her failing to use a scrunchy. (Probably noted in the log about covering moving parts for future experiments.)
She died on the Challenger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.