Most Astronauts Get ‘Space Headaches.’ Scientists Want to Know Why
Scientific AmericanMar 27
Study: Female Astronauts May Be More Resilient to Physical Toll of Spaceflight
Above: Astronaut Jeanette Epps poses as NASA rings the closing bell at NASDAQ on July 19, 2019 in New York City. Image copyright: John Lamparski/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Research published in Nature Communications, which analyzed data from the all-civilian crew from SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission, has found that women may be better suited than men to physiologically endure the effects of flying to outer space.
The authors said that the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission provided vital details on a short-term voyage that traveled farther away from Earth than the International Space Station (ISS). In contrast, ISS data provides information on astronauts in lower-orbit yet longer-duration missions.
The Spin
Narrative A
Although NASA has scrubbed much of this data from the public record, women have proven equal to men on spaceflight physical exams for decades. This, combined with this vital data about the physical ability of female astronauts to endure and recover from the impacts of spaceflight, suggests that NASA and other spacefaring agencies would be wise to put women at the forefront of future human cosmic exploration.
Narrative B
Whether you're a man or a woman, becoming an astronaut is a grueling and arduous process. In virtually every case, this includes obtaining advanced college degrees, passing military physical fitness exams, becoming a military pilot, and racking up 1K flight hours. This is a very important study about physiological factors, but it's important to remember — for both female and male astronauts — that physical resilience is one of many characteristics of crewing the space voyages of the future.