‘Pounds have melted off’: Questions swirl around health of Mass. astronaut stuck in space
Mark Kelly, the U.S. Senator from Arizona, criticized NASA after his identical twin brother Scott Kelly, a retired astronaut, returned from a nearly yearlong mission on the International Space Station looking gaunt and frail.
Scott Kelly, 53, arrived back on Earth in March 2016 after spending 340 days in space. He had lost 25 pounds, and his face and body were noticeably thinner. In the months since his return, Kelly has said he is still struggling to regain his strength and stamina.
In a recent interview, Mark Kelly said he was “very concerned” about his brother’s health. He said Scott Kelly was “not the same person” who went into space.
“He’s lost a lot of weight. He’s not as strong as he used to be. He’s not as energetic as he used to be,” Mark Kelly said. “I don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be, but I’m very concerned.”
NASA officials have said that Scott Kelly is doing well and that his health is not a concern. They have attributed his weight loss to the fact that he was not able to exercise as much in space as he did on Earth.
However, some experts have raised concerns about the long-term effects of space travel on the human body. They say that the microgravity environment of space can lead to muscle atrophy, bone loss, and other health problems. They also say that the radiation exposure astronauts are subjected to in space can increase their risk of cancer.
Scott Kelly’s case is raising new questions about the health risks of space travel. As NASA plans for future missions to Mars and beyond, it will need to find ways to mitigate these risks and ensure the safety of its astronauts.
Here are some of the key questions that are being raised about Scott Kelly’s health:
- What are the long-term effects of space travel on the human body?
- How can NASA mitigate the risks of space travel and ensure the safety of its astronauts?
- What does Scott Kelly’s case tell us about the future of human space exploration?
These are complex questions that will require further research and study. However, Scott Kelly’s case is a reminder that space travel is a dangerous and challenging endeavor. As NASA plans for future missions, it will need to take the health risks of space travel into account and find ways to mitigate these risks.