Space may be worse for humans than thought
Why going into orbit sends cells haywire
Space is not a very hospitable place. There is no air. Depending on whether you are in sunlight or not, it is either freezing cold or roasting hot. There are subtler hazards, too. Even when provided with oxygen and a stable temperature by their spacecraft, astronauts seem to sicken the longer they spend away from Earth.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The wrong stuff”
From the November 2nd 2024 edition
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