What Happens to the Body in Space?

By Duke Today

As humans prepare for longer missions to the moon and Mars, scientists are trying to understand how space affects the human body. One of the biggest concerns is space radiation — high-energy particles from the sun and distant galaxies that can pass through spacecraft and into bodies.

Unlike Earth, which is protected by a magnetic field and atmosphere, space is not. This means astronauts are exposed to radiation that could harm their health during and long after their missions end.

Dawn Bowles, a researcher at Duke University, is collaborating with NASA to study how space radiation affects the heart.