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Apollo Astronaut Deaths Linked To Deep Space Radiation

Astronauts who flew aboard the Apollo moon missions are five times more likely to develop heart disease, according to a new study.

The increased risk has been linked to radiation, raising concerns over the safety of deep space travel in the future.

With NASA, and other international space agencies as well as Elon Musk’s private space firm SpaceX, planning to send crewed missions to the moon and Mars, the research is worrying.

The Apollo astronauts experienced higher levels of cosmic radiation than any other astronauts, says the study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports.

“We know very little about the effects of deep space radiation on human health, particularly on the cardiovascular system,” said lead author Professor Michael Delp from Florida State University.

“This gives us the first glimpse into its adverse effects on humans.”

The research is the first to look into the mortality of the Apollo astronauts.

Apollo 17 marked the final mission to the moon (NASA)

Some 43 per cent of the deceased Apollo astronauts died from cardiovascular problems, says the study.

The rate is four to five higher than astronauts who have not flown to space, and those who have travelled into low Earth orbit.

Of the 24 men who flew into deep space during the Apollo programme, eight have died and seven were included in the study. Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell died after the data analysis was completed.

The study also exposed mice to levels of radiation equivalent to what the Apollo astronauts experienced and after six months - 20 human years - the rodents displayed damaged arteries, which are known to lead to heart disease in humans.

The Apollo missions ran between 1961 and 1972 with crewed flights into space starting in 1968, nine of which flew beyond Earth’s orbit and into deep space.

Six of those missions landed on the moon, with Apollo 13 famously returning to Earth before making it to the lunar surface following a technical fault.

Professor Delp is now working with NASA to carry out further studies on the cardiovascular health of astronauts.

Image: NASA