A new study by the UCL Department of Renal Medicine, led by Dr. Keith Siew, has revealed crucial findings about the health risks of travelling to Mars. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications, which involves over 40 space missions, including those to the International Space Station (ISS), and reveals that exposure to space conditions significantly alters kidney function, which can require dialysis during the return trip or upon arrival back on Earth.

Dr. Siew and his colleagues analyzed data from 20 research studies and various simulations, including 11 involving animals such as mice and rats, which were exposed to radiation simulating deep space travel. Their work is considered the largest study on kidney health in space so far and includes health data on commercial astronauts as well.

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The research highlights that the kidneys undergo structural changes in space that could lead to permanent damage.

Microgravity, which astronauts experience in orbit, causes shrinking of certain kidney tubules that regulate important balances of minerals like calcium and salt.

Additionally, spaceflight seems to increase the likelihood of kidney stones, a health issue that has already been observed in astronauts on shorter missions.

While astronauts in Low Earth Orbit benefit from partial shielding from Earth’s magnetic field, this protection does not extend to deeper space.

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The study’s findings, including exposure to cosmic radiation for up to 2.5 years, revealed that radiation has a lasting effect on kidney function.

“We know what has happened to astronauts on the relatively short space missions conducted so far, in terms of an increase in health issues such as kidney stones,” explained Dr. Siew. “What we don’t know is why these issues occur, nor what is going to happen to astronauts on longer flights such as the proposed mission to Mars.”