Human missions to Mars in doubt after astronaut kidney shrinkage revealed

Anthony Cuthbertson
·2-min read
Samples from 40 space missions revealed astronauts’ kidneys shrunk the longer they were exposed to the extreme conditions (Nasa)
Samples from 40 space missions revealed astronauts’ kidneys shrunk the longer they were exposed to the extreme conditions (Nasa)

Human missions to Mars could be at risk after new research revealed that long-duration space travel can impact the structure of astronauts’ kidneys.

Samples from more than 40 space missions involving humans and mice revealed that kidneys are remodelled by the conditions in space, with certain parts showing signs of shrinkage after less than a month in space.

The findings could jeopardise plans by SpaceX and Nasa to send crewed missions to Mars in the coming decades, with SpaceX boss Elon Musk recently claiming that it could be possible within the next “10 to 20 years”.

SpaceX created a five minute animation demonstrating what a crewed trip to Mars aboard a Starship rocket might look like (SpaceX)
SpaceX created a five minute animation demonstrating what a crewed trip to Mars aboard a Starship rocket might look like (SpaceX)

Scientists at University College London (UCL), who carried out the study, said that serious health risks are more likely to emerge the longer that an astronaut is exposed to the extreme conditions of space.

Future missions to Mars were not ruled out, though the scientists said that measures to protect the kidneys would need to be developed to avoid serious harm to astronauts. Methods of recovery could also be introduced onboard spacecraft, such as dialysis machines.

“We know what has happened to astronauts on the relatively short space missions conducted so far, in terms of an increase in health issues such as kidney stones,” said Dr Keith Siew, first author of the study from the London Tubular Centre, based at the UCL Department of Renal Medicine.

“What we don’t know is why these issues occur, nor what is going to happen to astronauts on longer flights such as the proposed mission to Mars. If we don’t develop new ways to protect the kidneys, I’d say that while an astronaut could make it to Mars they might need dialysis on the way back.

“We know that the kidneys are late to show signs of radiation damage; by the time this becomes apparent it’s probably too late to prevent failure, which would be catastrophic for the mission’s chances of success.”

An artist's impression of a Mars colony (iStock/ Getty Images)
An artist's impression of a Mars colony (iStock/ Getty Images)

Professor Stephen Walsh, senior author of the study from the London Tubular Centre, UCL Department of Renal Medicine, said: “Our study highlights the fact that if you’re planning a space mission, kidneys really matter.

“You can’t protect them from galactic radiation using shielding, but as we learn more about renal biology it may be possible to develop technological or pharmaceutical measures to facilitate extended space travel.”

The research was detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • NASA delays return of Boeing Starliner for more technical checks

    (Reuters) -NASA has further postponed the Boeing Starliner's return to Earth from the International Space Station with its first crew of astronauts, to allow more time for review of technical issues encountered, the agency said on Friday. It did not set a new date, raising questions about the timing of the return of the two astronauts on Boeing's first crewed mission, which had initially been set for June 26, itself a pushback from the first potential date of June 14. "Mission managers are evaluating future return opportunities following the station’s two planned spacewalks on June 24 and July 2," NASA said in a statement.

  • Astronauts stranded in space face further setback to return home

    Nasa has again delayed the return of two US astronauts currently stranded on the International Space Station.

  • The Psychology Behind What The Number Of Unread Emails You Have Says About You

    There's a lot you can learn about somebody from the amount of emails they ignore.

  • Does a cave beneath Pembroke Castle hold key to fate of early Britons?

    Scientists hope wealth of prehistoric material in Wogan Cavern in Wales is well preserved enough to reveal what really happened to our most ancient ancestors

  • US family sues Nasa for $80,000 in damages after space debris hits home

    Debris was from a pallet released from space station that did not burn up in atmospheric re-entry

  • Do girls really prefer to play with dolls? Scientists think they’ve solved this mystery of childhood

    Why do we think that girls love dolls? Plaything, prisoner, best friend, victim, cipher, mirror: whatever a doll can be is eerily mapped onto what we think of women. At the Design Museum’s Barbie exhibition, stuffed with more than six decades of memorabilia (from rare Dreamhouses to 1992’s global hit Totally Hair Barbie), you too can stare into her delicate, painted eyes – and try to make sense of modern girlhood.

  • If Triceratops had a metalhead cousin, this dinosaur would be it

    This week, get up close with the fossil of a rock-star dinosaur, watch the awakening of a supermassive black hole, explore Easter Island’s mysteries, and more.

  • Ed Stone, scientist who led the Voyager space missions through the solar system and beyond – obituary

    Professor Ed Stone, who has died aged 88, was project scientist for Nasa’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft missions from design and build to their launch, two weeks apart, in 1977.

  • How many types of foxes are there and who invented wigs? Try our kids’ quiz

    Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes

  • How seeing problems in the brain makes stigma disappear

    It can be very hard for people to accept that they – or their family member – are not to blame for their mental illness. Seeing the evidence in a scan can make a difference.

  • Researchers use AI to let you chat with your future self

    MIT researchers used AI to create a chatbot where you can talk with your “future self” leading users to feel less anxious or unmotivated after the chat.

  • China, France launch satellite to better understand the universe

    A French-Chinese satellite blasted off Saturday on a hunt for the mightiest explosions in the universe, in a notable example of cooperation between a Western power and the Asian giant.Developed by engineers from both countries, the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is carrying four instruments -- two French, two Chinese -- that will seek out gamma-ray bursts, the light from which has travelled billions of light years to reach Earth.The 930-kilogram (2,050-pound) satellite "successfully" took off around 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) aboard a Chinese Long March 2-C rocket from a space base in Xichang, in southwestern Sichuan province, China's National Space Administration said.Gamma-ray bursts generally occur after the explosion of huge stars -- those more than 20 times as big as the sun -- or the fusion of compact stars.The extremely bright cosmic beams can give off a blast of energy equivalent to more than a billion billion suns.Observing them is like "looking back in time, as the light from these objects takes a long time to reach us", Ore Gottlieb, an astrophysicist at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Astrophysics in New York, told AFP.- 'Several mysteries' -The rays carry traces of the gas clouds and galaxies they pass through on their journey through space -- valuable data for better understanding the history and evolution of the universe."SVOM has the potential to unravel several mysteries in the field of (gamma-ray bursts), including detecting the most distant GRBs in the universe, which correspond to the earliest GRBs," Gottlieb said.The most distant bursts identified to date were produced just 630 million years after the Big Bang -- when the universe was in its infancy."We are... interested in gamma-ray bursts for their own sake because they are very extreme cosmic explosions which allow us to better understand the death of certain stars," said Frederic Daigne, an astrophysicist at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics."All of this data makes it possible to test the laws of physics with phenomena that are impossible to reproduce in the laboratory on Earth."Once analysed, the data could help to improve understanding of the composition of space, and the dynamics of gas clouds or other galaxies.The project stems from a partnership between the French and Chinese space agencies as well as other scientific and technical groups from both nations."It's a great success. We've managed to work well with our Chinese colleagues," Philippe Baptiste, CEO of France's CNES space agency, told AFP after the launch.Space cooperation at this level between the West and China is fairly uncommon, especially since the United States banned all collaboration between NASA and Beijing in 2011.- Race against time -"US concerns on technology transfer have inhibited US allies from collaborating with the Chinese very much, but it does happen occasionally," said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States.In 2018, China and France jointly launched CFOSAT, an oceanographic satellite mainly used in marine meteorology.Several European countries have also taken part in China's Chang'e lunar exploration programme.So while SVOM is "by no means unique", it remains "significant" in the context of space collaboration between China and the West, said McDowell.Once in orbit 625 kilometres (388 miles) above the Earth, the satellite will send its data back to observatories.The main challenge is that gamma-ray bursts are extremely brief, leaving scientists in a race against time to gather information.Once it detects a burst, SVOM will send an alert to a team on duty around the clock.Within five minutes, they will have to rev up a network of telescopes on the ground that will align precisely with the axis of the burst's source to make more detailed observations.ehl-juc-mjw/oho/pbt/dhw

  • An 8-year-old girl was sucked into a swimming pool pipe at a Hilton hotel. The management company blamed her parents

    On March 23, Aliyah Lynette Jaico, 8, and her family were enjoying an afternoon of swimming at a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel when she disappeared.

  • Elton John's savage nickname for David and Victoria Beckham revealed

    A new book has made some explosive claims about the Beckham's marriage and their relationships with the Royal family - including a cruel nickname that Elton John gave them

  • 'There was a flash of light - suddenly, I couldn't hear the children anymore'

    'I remember this policeman asked me, 'do you know anybody Irish?'. So I said yes - my mum and dad. He asked me for their names and it hit me then what he was saying. That has always stuck with me - I thought, he can't be serious, asking me questions like that'

  • Princess Charlotte channels Princess Kate in glittering sequin dress and boho braids at Taylor Swift concert

    Princess Charlotte is a confirmed Swiftie! The Prince and Princess of Wales' daughter had the time of her life at Taylor Swift's Eras tour concert in London, wearing a glittering rose gold dress and boho braids for the occasion

  • Prince William's epic 'dad dancing' leaves fans saying the same thing about Prince Louis

    The Prince of Wales joined his two eldest children, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte and Taylor Swift on Friday night - and a new video of the royal dancing to Shake It Off has gone viral on TikTok for the same reason

  • The Chase star breaks down after James Corden TV show humiliation

    The Chase star Paul Sinha has shared a deeply embarrassing experience from his time on a popular TV show, which led to him crying all the way home in a taxi

  • Denise Nolan is married! Wedding exclusive as star, 72, marries surrounded by famous siblings: ‘We’ve been together 47 years - we love each other’

    EXCLUSIVE: After almost 50 years together, singer Denise Nolan and her long-term fiancé Tom Anderson said their emotional vows in front of their nearest and dearest

  • David Beckham shows support for daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz after family heartbreak

    David Beckham has shown support for his daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz after the heartbroken wife of Brooklyn Beckham experienced two tragic losses in the same month