NASA flags eye damage risk from long space missions
“NASA says prolonged missions can damage eyesight, elevating medical risks for a three-year Mars trip.”
Key points
- NASA says prolonged missions can damage eyesight, elevating medical risks for a three-year Mars trip.
- The agency is expanding testing on the ISS as scientists study countermeasures for SANS.
A new NASA assessment warns that long-duration spaceflight can significantly affect astronauts? vision, complicating plans for a multiyear journey to Mars. The agency says Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS) has emerged as a top medical risk.
Studies of astronauts show structural and visual changes?including flattening of the back of the eye, retinal alterations and optic-nerve effects?that can persist after return to Earth. In a large cohort, nearly half of those on extended missions reported difficulty with both near and distance vision.
One leading hypothesis is that microgravity drives bodily fluids toward the head, increasing pressure that affects the eyes. To better understand and mitigate the condition, NASA is conducting regular eye exams aboard the International Space Station while researchers work on potential countermeasures.
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