NASA plans to launch a Mars mission within 15 years, yet faces significant challenges, particularly the spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), which impacts astronauts' eyesight during extended durations in microgravity. Symptoms include swelling of the optic nerve, changes in eye shape, and refractive index shifts. After years of research, the exact causes and prevention methods remain unclear. With the potential for permanent damage over a nine-month journey to Mars, SANS has become a major concern, classified as a 'red risk' alongside other risks like radiation exposure and mental health changes.
NASA considers SANS one of its 'red risks' for a Mars mission, owing to its potential severity and the number of astronauts that could be exposed.
Despite more than a decade of study, researchers still don't know exactly what causes it, who's at highest risk or how to prevent or treat it.
I said, 'It's NASA. They'll figure it out in six months'. And yet here I am, part of the team trying to figure out what exactly is going on.
SANS has been an issue mostly for people doing six-month stints on the International Space Station (ISS), but a Mars mission’s longer duration may exacerbate the problem.
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