Short space trips may affect health.

HUMAN biology; HUMAN space flight; MONOZYGOTIC twins; SPACE flight; SPACE biology; CELLULAR aging

A new project called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) is studying how spaceflight affects astronaut health at a molecular level. The project has published 30 papers in various Nature journals, making it the largest database for aerospace human biology and medicine to date. SOMA is responding to the rise of crewed commercial missions, which do not have the same health regulations as government-employed astronauts. The project's data shows that short space trips can induce genetic effects similar to longer missions, but the long-term health implications are still unclear. Lawmakers are urged to establish health criteria for commercial crews before the current moratorium on safety regulations expires. [Extracted from the article]

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