The Polaris Dawn mission, a private endeavor powered by SpaceX, took four civilian astronauts further from Earth than any human in recent decades. The crew faced a variety of challenges, including unexpected bodily reactions and debilitating symptoms due to the intense physical effects of spaceflight.
The insights and data gathered by the Polaris Dawn crew have begun to shed light on how prolonged exposure to weightlessness, cosmic radiation, and deep orbit affects the human body, adding to NASA’s decades-long research into the unique hazards of space travel.
The Unique Physical Challenges of Deep Orbit
Each of the Polaris Dawn crew members encountered distinctive physical reactions to their journey through deep space. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a former Air Force pilot, found that his vision deteriorated soon after arriving in orbit, a condition that could point to spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), a common but poorly understood ailment affecting nearly 70% of astronauts.
This condition, marked by blurred vision, is believed to result from the redistribution of bodily fluids due to weightlessness, causing an increase in eye pressure and optic nerve changes. To track these changes, the crew wore special contact lenses, nicknamed the “cyborg experiment,” designed to record data on eye pressure over the course of the mission.
Anna Menon, the mission’s medical officer and a SpaceX engineer, endured an episode of space adaptation syndrome, which impacts around 60% to 80% of people traveling to orbit. This condition, commonly referred to as space sickness, triggers a wide array of symptoms, from dizziness and nausea to severe vomiting.
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Menon noted the significant impact this syndrome had on her ability to function in space, especially in the initial days of adaptation. Space adaptation syndrome can be particularly challenging because it involves severe motion sickness-like symptoms in an environment where typical anti-nausea medications might not have the same effect. Moreover, it underscores the complex nature of adapting to an environment with no gravitational forces to orient the body.
The Polaris Dawn crew also conducted the first-ever commercial spacewalk and ventured into the lower bands of Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. These belts, regions within Earth’s magnetic field where high-energy particles are trapped, expose travelers to elevated radiation levels.
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Jared Isaacman, Polaris Dawn mission commander and founder of the payment technology firm Shift4, observed light flashes behind his closed eyes—a phenomenon also reported by NASA astronauts. Although the exact cause of this phenomenon remains unclear, it may be linked to the passage of high-energy particles through the eye and brain.
Health-Focused Experiments for Future Missions
The Polaris Dawn mission included 36 experiments aimed at gathering health data and understanding how deep-space conditions alter human physiology. The goal was to pave the way for safer future missions and potentially long-term human presence in space.
Some of these experiments focused on understanding how the body processes medications in microgravity. Blood tests taken from the crew members before and after the mission measured how drugs, like acetaminophen, behaved differently in orbit than they do on Earth.
One of the mission’s more intriguing studies was the use of MRI technology to observe changes in brain anatomy. Crew members underwent MRI scans before takeoff and again immediately upon return. These images revealed anatomical changes, including upward brain shifts within the skull and enlarged fluid-filled ventricles at the brain’s center.
These observations align with past findings that weightlessness can increase cranial pressure and alter brain structure, though the exact reasons remain a mystery.
In addition to MRI scans, the Polaris Dawn team used portable imaging technology near their quarantine area to gather fast data—an approach faster than NASA’s traditional post-flight protocols. The goal was to capture any immediate changes that occurred during the astronauts’ re-entry into Earth’s gravity.
According to Dr. Donna Roberts, deputy chief scientist at the ISS National Laboratory, these findings could shed light on the brain’s adaptation to space and why some structural changes occur, potentially aiding the development of protective measures against these effects.
The Polaris Dawn mission also contributed valuable data by analyzing fluid shifts in the human body. Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX operations engineer and mission specialist, noted the fluid shifts impacted every organ, highlighting how the human body undergoes a full reorientation in response to zero gravity.
This research is invaluable as we look to potential interplanetary missions, where bodily fluid redistribution could have more severe implications.
The Future of Spaceflight and Its Medical Implications
The Polaris Dawn crew’s experiences underscore the urgency of finding solutions to the physical impacts of space travel as missions become longer and more ambitious. SpaceX’s long-term goal of sending humans to Mars and establishing settlements means future astronauts may face nine months of travel under weightlessness and high radiation levels.
The symptoms observed by the Polaris Dawn crew, from vision impairment to spatial disorientation, highlight the risks that must be mitigated to ensure that future astronauts arrive ready and capable of performing essential tasks upon landing on Mars.
One significant issue highlighted by Polaris Dawn’s data is the prevalence of SANS among space travelers, which can cause blurry vision and, in severe cases, could impair astronauts’ ability to read instructions or operate equipment.
Isaacman emphasized the importance of understanding SANS and finding ways to manage it if space missions are to become more accessible and widespread. Similarly, Menon noted that if SANS symptoms persisted in a Mars-bound crew, it could jeopardize mission success.
The Polaris Dawn team’s observations on space adaptation syndrome further underscore the complexity of adapting to microgravity. Menon’s experience with nausea and disorientation demonstrates how the syndrome can hamper crew performance.
Medication, although available, can have limited effects or side effects like drowsiness, rendering astronauts unable to function for hours. Given that space adaptation syndrome can impact productivity, researchers are exploring more effective treatments that minimize side effects, such as wearable technology to help the body adjust to the unfamiliar sensations of zero gravity.
As NASA and SpaceX collaborate on future missions, the Polaris Dawn mission offers a trove of data on space travel’s physical impacts and lays the groundwork for new preventive and therapeutic strategies. With each mission, private and government sectors continue to enhance their knowledge of the body’s resilience and adaptability, crucial as human aspirations extend further into the cosmos.
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