Some 7 years ago I made a promise. One of those inadvertent and naive that we not only do lightly, but we know, without a doubt, that we can never fulfill. For some paternally selfish reason, I promised my daughter, then 5 years, who could go to Mars. Luckily he had the advantage of age: he had to spend years, perhaps decades, forming to have that possibility. And this only until some age. Because at that time, when I made the promise, Being over 45 years was an almost insurmountable obstacle to become an astronaut.
Unfortunately, I no longer have that advantage. A few days ago, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned from the International Space Station (EEI) after 9 months. This was a surprise not only for the long period, but also for his age: 59 and 62 years. So … how relevant is the age in space?
“Space is an extreme environment – explains us Adrianos Golemis, main flight surgeon and medical care services of the European Space Agency (ESA) -. In any extreme environment, our body can suffer a little and then adapt. An advanced age can mean a lower oxygen reserve for the body, at least for the average person. ”
So at an older age, less possibilities dictates logic … but it’s never so simple.
“Astronauts take care of their physical and psychological health and receive the necessary support, so they generally have a better performance than the average person -adds Golemis -remember that the American astronaut Don Petit is currently in a long -term mission, at 69 years, and is well. We observe improvements in the countermeasures that help maintain astronauts in good health: For example, better exercise equipment to preserve the muscles affected by zero gravity. Therefore, age is a less important factor today. ”
Obviously it is a less relevant factor, it does not mean that it can be ruled out. Ingravidity, radiation, isolation have consequences on our physical health and also in the mental. The first thing to understand then is how different aging in space compared to Earth
“When you move at high speed, as is the case of astronauts at the International Space Station, time passes a slower second fraction -says Golemis -so, in theory, we get a little less aging … even if it is a minimally lower fraction. Actually, that is insignificant. The reality is that The physiological adaptations of the body in space are, in some cases, similar to aging on Earth: Our muscle mass decreases, density and bone architecture change, we are more prone to fractures and we can have vision problems. The difference with real aging on Earth is that most of these effects are gradually reversed when the astronaut returns to earth. ”
All this brings me closer and more to the inexcusable need to fulfill my promises as a parent. Unless you turn to age as a risk factor. Generally, we think that youth is something positive in space, Are there advantages for people over 50 as astronauts?
“Yes there are! -he affirms Golemis -. With age comes the experience, so that older astronauts who have flown more times can know how to use their body better in space to minimize the impact of this extreme environment. I would add that We all tend to idealize youth and demonize old age. I would say that, in reality, it is simply a change of qualities: youth and old age have different advantages and challenges, and we all simply pass from one to another. ”
We turn, therefore, to option B: Is there an age limit or are we just beginning to explore it?
“Access to space is opening more and more people. The ESA study, to launch the first astronaut with disabilities, John McFall, to a space flight, is an excellent example -Golemis points out from that -. With the science we do in space, we learn more and more. In this way, We advance in space medicine and support for missions, and therefore, we can transport people to space safely with less health requirements before the mission. Old age enters that category: now we can surely transport major astronauts and provide proper support. Thinking about it, it is a general trend: sports champions can now compete until well into thirty, while a couple of decades ago their career ended even at the end of the twenties. ”
Even today, ESA and NASA continue to explore the age limit as all other limits: John Glenn flew to space at age 77 in 1998, while, more recently, William Shatner and Ed Wight made a suborbital spatial flight to the 90s. And, due to the absence of gravity, physical skills are not so important, but brain function remains essential. Therefore, can we expect major astronauts in the Missions to the US?
“I would say that physical skills are still important, but in reality the brain has to” recreate “zero gravity movement patterns. This could be related to what we call “neuroplasticity”, our brain flexibility to adapt -Golemis concludes -. In fact, brain functions are crucial to save the mission and crew in case of a accident. The two main challenges for performance are the acute effects of spatial adaptation syndrome at the beginning of the mission, which disappear after 2-3 days, and the latent effect of living in an environment confined with a lot of work and little external stimulation or variety. These challenges are not different for young or older people. While older astronauts take care of their health, including their brain and mental healthand let’s make sure they rest enough, we can expect major astronauts in the US, yes. Don Petit is a living example. ”
My joy in a well: I have no choice and I must fulfill my promise.