The Medical and Scientific Truth Behind The Martian

Traveling to space has its major tolls on the human body. For over 15 years, astronauts have been living on board the International Space Station for long periods at a time. From this type of space travel we already knew that as soon as gravity changes the fluids start shifting in your body, you lose muscle mass, your bones gradually lose calcium and structural integrity, and you can lose up to 2.5% of your bone density in a month in space. If all of this happens in ‘regular’ space travel, what happens in deep-space travel?

A recent study shows that astronauts on a mars mission could experience brain damage. The brain damage will stem from being exposed to harmful radiation from galactic cosmic rays which are highly charged and ionized particles. This radiation during extended deep-space travel would result in long-lasting cognitive impairment and increased depression and anxiety.

Even though The Martian film is one of the most accurate science fiction films to ever be made, it isn’t very evident through the film that Mark Watney was experiencing any of these detrimental effects to his body while he was on Mars for 560 or so days. According to the fact that you lose 2.5% of your bone density in a month in space without regular exercise, Watney would have lost almost 50% of his bone density! At that point I think he would have been unable to stand; however, the movie did not show this part of living in space. He also did not show any effects of the brain damaging radiation; however, the film did talk about him having adequate protection against the radiation even though that is not available to astronauts today.

For more information on how travel to mars could affect the brain go to : http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/health/mars-mission-astronaut-brain-damage/index.html