How uncomfortable space suits took a toll on the first Americans who went to space
Going to space did change the bodies of the first US astronauts — but it was more linked to the long time they spent wearing uncomfortable space suits than the time they spent in zero gravity, according to new research.
The US sent humans into space for the first time during Project Mercury, whose six flights spanned 1961 to 1963. Before and after the flights — which ranged from 15 minutes to 34 hours — astronauts were tested for heart rate and activity, body temperature, urination, fluid intake, and weight loss. Though almost all the research has been previously published, a report published today in the journal Nature is the first to analyze all that science in one place. It found that all the astronauts had heart-rate increases and…
