Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's return from the International Space Station (ISS) is in jeopardy, as NASA is facing an unprecedented situation.
A brief voyage onboard Boeing's Starliner capsule was initially scheduled, but due to technical difficulties, the space agency is now considering extending their stay in orbit until early 2025. Concerns have been voiced over the crew's safety and well-being as well as the consequences for upcoming space missions due to this unexpected development.
Experts claim that the dangers of space travel go well beyond the radiation and weightlessness that are usually mentioned.
The possibility of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation is a serious but sometimes overlooked risk, according to Dr Bhupesh Kumar, a neurologist and stroke expert at Medharbour Multispeciality Hospital. Because of the severe vacuum and lack of air pressure, space is an unforgiving environment where life support systems must be carefully managed.
The controlled environment that spaceship systems offer, complete with the required amounts of oxygen for human survival, is essential to astronauts. Any malfunction in these systems could have detrimental effects on one's health, Indian Express reported.