What medicines would we pack for a trip to Mars?
21.08.2023 - 11:55
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
Header image: Terrae Novae destinations: Mars. Credit: ESA–Olivier Pâques
Nial Wheate, University of Sydney
Mars garnered a bunch of headlines early this week, as NASA revealed it had discovered water on the red planet. And it’s likely to linger in the public mind a little longer as reviews of the latest sci-fi blockbuster based on the planet appear with the film’s national opening today.
The Andy Weir novel on which the new sci-fi movie The Martian is based has been lauded for its scientific accuracy. And expert reviews are now explaining what’s science fact and what’s still science fiction in the film.
Both the book and the film cover broad scientific ground, dealing with aspects of botany, chemistry, physics, geology, and engineering. But other than some quick self-surgery at the start, the medical aspects of survival on Mars and the long trip to and from the red planet are not touched on.
The human body didn’t evolve to deal with the unique conditions of space travel. Astronauts experience a wide range of health problems, including short-term ones, such as stress on the body due to the high g-forces of launches, and motion sickness as they adapt to the weightless environment.
The International Space Station has given us an enormous amount of information on the long-term health effects of space. Astronauts who spend significant amounts of time in space experience loss of bone density, and a weakening of the muscles, due to the lack of gravity and the exertion it places on the body.
The lack of regular days and nights can also make it difficult for astronauts to sleep. And, more recently, we have found that long-term space flight also causes significant cardiovascular problems. Astronauts experience slower and less regular