NASA will need to carefully look into the various health hazards being confronted by its astronauts in order to ensure the success of their mission in Mars and other succeeding space explorations.
This, in nutshell, was the recommendation made in an intensive internal audit conducted by the space agency's Inspector General Paul Martin, reported Mail Online.
Martin investigated NASA's current efforts to keep its space crew physically and mentally fit, particularly during lengthy missions to Mars which are scheduled in the 2030s.
In his report, the NASA official identified the top health hazards which may affect the well-being of astronauts during three-year, round-trip mission to Mars.
These include space radiation that could cause cancer, central nervous system damage, cataracts or infertility; extreme isolation, which could lead to psychological problems; and prolonged weightlessness, already known to weaken bones, muscles and vision.
Other potential health hazards include the limited types of food and medicines which astronauts are allowed to take during their mission in Mars, which might subsequently lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
Martin however was optimistic that NASA would be able to address these concerns by the 2030s, as the agency is already in the process of identifying and managing these health hazards leading up to the Mars mission.
'The agency still faces significant challenges to ensuring the safety of crew members on a human mission to Mars or deep space,' the NASA report said.
Among the factors that are slowing down the space agency's implementation of its health-risk efforts include the uncertainty over the kids of vehicles that will transport astronauts to space, according to NBC.
Moreover, NASA needs to consolidate its expertise in order to effectively manage the different health issues facing its space crew.
It is worth noting that no American astronaut has spent more than seven months in space for just one mission.
Currently, the Russians are officially the world's "space endurance champions" although they haven't stayed beyond 14 months during their space missions.
Interestingly, the inspector general's report was released on the same day that NASA astronaut Scott Kelly broke the U.S. record for the longest single spaceflight.
Medical researchers are interested to learn more about Kelly's condition, as NASA develops better ways of limiting and eventually addressing the health hazards being faced by astronauts in their upcoming mission to Mars.
