Space & Astronomy

Space travel can cause stem cells to age 10 times faster, NASA finds

By T.K. Randall
September 9, 2025 ·  0 comments

Image: Astronaut Edward H. White II During the Gemini 4 Mission
Credit: James McDivitt / (PD) NASA It would be fair to say that heading to the final frontier is not the for faint of heart, especially for those who value their long-term health, as spending even modest amounts of time in space brings with it the risk of developing a whole variety of debilitating health conditions.

Previous research into human space travel has revealed that astronauts can suffer from bone density loss, muscle weakening and shrinkage, vision problems, heart issues, balance problems, sleep disturbances, an increased risk of cancer and much more.

As if this wasn't already bad enough, a new study has found that human stem cells can age while in space up to ten times faster than they would if the person was on terra firma.

Stem cells are important as they can develop into various other types of tissue and are essential to our body's ability to regenerate and repair damage to tissue and organs.This issue could lead to all manner of age-related conditions and reduce the lifespan of anyone who spends too long in space.

All of this is particularly problematic because in order for humans to travel to Mars, for instance, it will be necessary to spend much longer in space than anyone else has done up until now.

Even getting to Mars will take six months at the very least.

Unless these health concerns can be addressed, it might not be feasible for anyone to spend more than a short period in space at any one time.

Source: NBC News | Comments (0)

Tags: NASA, Space