Floaty feeling in space? It may not just be vacuum.. or freedom either

Scientists at a research facility for space have recently concluded that the floaty feeling you get while in outer space is not just restricted to vacuum or a sense of freedom( though I sense both play their own parts), but definitely leaves you feeling lighter inside. While this may sound cryptic to some cynics, research has just concluded that long term space travel is responsible for bone density loss in a study conducted on 17 astronauts- 14 male and 3 female, with an average of 5.5 months in space.

The research amassed data on the effects of space travel caused by microgravity conditions of space and the degree to which it can be regained, once back on good solid ground. Alarmingly, 9 astronauts did not regain bone density- experiencing permanent loss, while the rest exhibited 2.1% reduced mineral density and 1.3% reduced bone strength- a loss equivalent to what an average human body would experience after 2 decades on Eart, and they regained back only half of that once back on Earth. This essentially means that Space travel speeds up aging for the astronauts by 20 years

*During spaceflight, fine bone structures thin, and eventually some of the bone rods disconnect from one another. Once the astronaut comes back to Earth, the remaining bone connections can thicken and strengthen, but the ones that disconnected in space can’t be rebuilt, so the astronaut’s overall bone structure permanently changes*. It can also lead to cardiovascular changes and vision- *Without gravity pulling blood towards our feet, astronauts experience a fluid shift that causes more blood to pool in the upper body. Radiation is also a large health concern for astronauts as the further they travel from Earth the greater exposure to the sun’s radiation and increased cancer risk.*

All this leads us to ask if there's anything textile and apparel designers can do to improve upon the shortcomings that have been found . With all the advancements in science and technology, and the recent innovations that have been coming up in the technical textile market, surely there would be room for innovations in textiles such as these, which could be improved upon further, to provide a safe atmosphere for our astronauts. That remains to be seen but this could be a budding new field apparel designers could focus towards.

Pic credits: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g2fvDKypq6wLTvHQKoDbXG.jpg

*- as quoted at https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/astronaut-study-reveals-effects-of-space-travel-on-human-bones/article65598069.ece