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Previous research has shown that astronauts lose between 1 and 2 percent of their space bone density For every month they spend in space.
To find out how astronauts recover once they return to Earth, a new study scanned the wrists and ankles of 17 astronauts before, during and after a stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
The researchers found that the bone density of the leg of nine of the Astronauts It hasn’t fully recovered after a year on Earth, and astronauts who went on long missions, which ranged from four to seven months on the International Space Station, were the slowest to recover.
Study co-author Dr Stephen Boyd, from the University of Calgary, Canada, said: "The bone density that astronauts lost was equivalent to what they would lose in several decades on Earth, and it’s a major concern for future missions planned to Mars.".
A study published in 2020 predicted that over three years of spaceflight to Mars33% of astronauts will be at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who spent the most time in space, said in a statement accompanying the research that his bones and muscles took longer to recover after spaceflight.
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Previous research has shown that astronauts lose between 1 and 2 percent of their space bone density For every month they spend in space.
To find out how astronauts recover once they return to Earth, a new study scanned the wrists and ankles of 17 astronauts before, during and after a stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
The researchers found that the bone density of the leg of nine of the Astronauts It hasn’t fully recovered after a year on Earth, and astronauts who went on long missions, which ranged from four to seven months on the International Space Station, were the slowest to recover.
Study co-author Dr Stephen Boyd, from the University of Calgary in Canada, said: ‘The bone density astronauts lost was equivalent to what they would lose in several decades on Earth. It is a major concern for future planned missions to Mars.
A study published in 2020 predicted that over three years of spaceflight to Mars33% of astronauts will be at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who spent the most time in space, said in a statement accompanying the research that his bones and muscles took longer to recover after spaceflight.