Parabolicarc: Long exposure to microgravity conditions does some bad things to the human body. The heart shrinks, bones become weaker and cells are exposed to damaging radiation. The impacts will become more acute as NASA launches astronauts to the moon and Mars, which lie outside of the protection of the Earth’s Van Allen belt. The space agency has been conducting research aboard the International Space Station to find ways of addressing these risks before flights begin in the 2020’s.The Trump Administration wants to end direct federal support for the station in 2024 to free up funding for human lunar missions. However, a recent NASA Inspector General audit indicates doing so could leave some vital human health research being left uncompleted, resulting in greater risks to astronauts on deep-space missions.
Below is an excerpt from the audit that discusses the human health research being conducted on the space station and the risks involved of ending station support in 2024.After nearly 20 years in orbit, the ISS is nearing a crossroads when NASA needs to make decisions regarding crucial, unfinished research needed to enable deep space travel and competition for funding by the next generation of exploration systems to enable that travel.
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