Going to space is one of humanity's greatest achievements. As people love to point out, we learned to fly for the first time in the early 1900s and put men on the moon 50 years later. But as spectacular as that is, there are still plenty of things we need to perfect before making space a more permanent home or going on extended voyages to Mars or beyond.
Part of the problem is the human body. Millions of years of evolution mean that we are meant to exist in a place with gravity, and removing that from the equation creates issues. From the basic obstacles of movement and bodily functions stem more complex health problems like muscle atrophy. In short, even if protected by the engineering might that is the International Space Station, space will slowly kill us.
Astronauts have mastered the art of operating in zero gravity, including the not-so-glamorous parts. Still, seeing as the ISS is an insulated floating metal tube with a bunch of people inside of it, those hallways can't smell good. The human body is grosser than we'd all like to admit, and that only gets worse in space. Here are seven disgusting things that happen to it when gravity turns to zero.
1
Growing
Without gravity, your body will actually grow an inch or so in space. But while the added height would be nice here on Earth, it doesn’t help when you’re floating, and it can also cause severe pain as nerves and tendons are stretched.
2
Tooting
Although astronauts are on careful diets, they will pass gas now and then. Not only is this gas dangerous and flammable, it just sits there indefinitely for fellow crew members to drift through.
3
Freaky Lights
We forget how much Earth’s atmosphere protects us from things like rogue space radiation. But up on the ISS, astronauts have reported seeing flashing lights when they close their eyes as this radiation travels through space, and through their eyeballs.
4
Bone Density Changes
The femur loses 1% to 1.5% of its mass every month you stay in space, and that’s just one of many bones. Increased risk of injury can follow, along with other issues.
5
Kidney Stones
Unfortunately, in a place where urinating is difficult, you’re also more likely to develop the world’s worst urinating condition.
6
Doing Your Business
New ISS toilets begin suction as soon as the toilet seat is lifted… but if that stuff gets anywhere, good luck cleaning it up.
7
Doing Your Business
That place has to stink too.
8
Getting Freaky
Staying physically connected while drifting in zero gravity might make close encounters of the fourth kind difficult.
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Continued
A suit called the 2suit is designed to fix that with velcro, but they’re not exactly flattering.
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You also better keep it vanilla, because if things get rough, that decreasing bone density can become an injury risk.
