New research from a massive collaborative effort between over 40 experts from Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University suggests that the female body is better equipped for spaceflight than its male counterpart. The findings published in Nature Communications indicate that women may even recover from space voyages more swiftly.
The study focused on the biological impact of space travel on the human body. To gather data, blood and serum samples were taken from the crew of the 2021 SpaceX mission ‘Inspiration4′; a unique team comprised entirely of civilian members. This “layperson” status was an important factor in the research, as these individuals were not subject to the dieting and rigorous training that professional astronauts commonly undergo. This enabled a deeper look into the diverse genetic and biomedical backgrounds within the crew.
The human body is known to respond to the stresses of space travel, and these responses can vary between individuals. The differences can lead to a range of physical changes, such as a decrease in muscle mass, loss of bone density, or heightened mineral levels. Thus, scientists sought to understand how these effects manifest in everyday individuals as opposed to trained astronauts.
After examining the collected samples, scientists observed changes in immune and metabolic function, inflammation, cellular aging, and muscle homeostasis. Men seemed to be more affected by space travel across almost all observed cell types and metrics, taking longer to recover post-flight. Additionally, observations showed that men might experience significant, long-term disruption to their chromatin, a complex of DNA and proteins that forms chromosomes. In simple terms, their bodies might be more prone to DNA damage.
Although the research does not pinpoint the exact cause of this disparity, one of the paper’s authors, Dr. Christopher Mason of Cornell University, speculates that women may be better equipped for space travel due to their bodies’ ability to handle the stresses of pregnancy, including significant changes in physiology and fluid dynamics.
Though these are preliminary findings from a relatively small sample size, the authors argue they offer valuable insight into how different body types respond to space travel. This research is instrumental, particularly when considering that only 10% of astronauts to date have been women. With pioneering steps being taken in the space industry such as NASA’s plans to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon and Australia’s first female astronaut, these findings could help shape the future of space travel – potentially indicating a shift towards more female-led space missions.
In sum, though further study is necessary to confirm these findings, it appears that women’s bodies may be better suited to handle the rigors of space travel than men’s, potentially paving the way for increased female representation in future space missions.
