What's It Like To Live In Space? One Astronaut Says It Changes Her Dreams
Mar 25, 2024
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NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara shares her incredible experiences from nearly seven months on the International Space Station. She discusses how microgravity has transformed her dreams and the unique challenges of living and working in space. Loral dives into her groundbreaking research on 3D-printing human heart tissue and reveals fascinating insights into how the human body and plants adapt to life in a weightless environment. Tune in for a firsthand account of life beyond Earth and the scientific discoveries that come with it!
Living in space can impact the brain's ability to navigate in 3D environments.
Fluid shifts in space can lead to congestion and swollen face, despite initial lack of sickness.
Deep dives
Research on Brain Adaptation in Space
One of the main focuses of the podcast was the research on how an astronaut's brain adapts to the space environment. This research involves understanding the brain's ability to navigate in a 3D environment while in space. The astronaut discussed the initial challenges of understanding directions in space but highlighted how quickly the brain adapted to the unique conditions on the space station.
Effects of Space Environment on the Body
The podcast also delved into the impacts of the space environment on the astronaut's body. It was mentioned that fluid shifts occur in space, leading to fluid moving towards the head and neck areas, causing congestion and other effects like swollen face. Despite these changes, the astronaut shared that she surprisingly did not feel sick initially but has experienced prolonged congestion as a result of the fluid shifts in microgravity.
Life Science Experiments in Space
Another significant aspect covered in the podcast was the astronaut's involvement in life science experiments on the International Space Station. The experiments included analyzing bone marrow stem cells to study bone density loss in astronauts and researching age-related liver dysfunction and immune system changes in space. The astronaut expressed enthusiasm for these experiments, highlighting the importance of such studies in understanding space impacts on human health.
Few humans have had the opportunity to see Earth from space, much less live in space. We got to talk to one of these lucky people — NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara. She will soon conclude her nearly seven month stay on the International Space Station.
Transmitting from space to your ears, Loral talks to host Regina G. Barber about her dreams in microgravity, and her research on the ISS: 3D-printing human heart tissue, how the human brain and body adapt to microgravity, and how space changes the immune systems of plants.
Have questions you want us to send to outers pace? Email us at shortwave@npr.org!