How Does Space Travel Affect Natural Aging?

[redferry]

Changes in the body that come from space travel resemble growing older, providing opportunities to perform aging studies on astronauts.
https://www.nmn.com/news/how-does-space-travel-affect-natural-aging

Any validity to this?

 

[phinds]

Changes in the body that come from space travel resemble growing older, providing opportunities to perform aging studies on astronauts.
https://www.nmn.com/news/how-does-space-travel-affect-natural-aging

Any validity to this?

Yes, there are various things about being in space (read the article) that affect the body. There is no measurable(*) amount of ACTUAL aging, but the effects can be similar to aging.

* Scott is actually YOUNGER than Mark by about a millisecond but that's not measurable in biological processes in the human body.

 

[Ibix]

Yes, although not really, with current technology. Differential aging is real and astronaut Mark Kelly, I think it is, is about an added millisecond younger than his twin brother compared to what he would be if he had not gone to space for a year. The difference can be computed but cannot be measured into biological functions.

That's true, but not what the article is about. It's talking about biological effects of zero gravity and radiation hazards and what have you, not relativity.

 

[phinds]

That's true, but not what the article is about. It's talking about biological efects of zero gravity and radiation hazards and what have you, not relativity.

Yep. I totally edited the post before I saw your post, having realized that was not what the article was about.

 

[Klystron]

The premise of this article -- that prolonged microgravity* leads to biological changes in the human body similar to aging -- contradicts a meme common before the successful NASA Apollo missions: that microgravity environment should greatly benefit the elderly released from the drag of Earth gravity.

*I saw only one brief mention of radiation exposure with no measurements or discussion.