![]() At some point, even if you've done studies on animals, we're going to have to try it, and that involves experimenting on pregnant people and fetuses… It's a big ethical barrier to getting to the point of having self-sustaining human populations in space.”ħ. “There's an ethical question, really under debate on Earth: how much should we be editing the genome? Should you be editing cells that are going to pass on to your children? Can we justify gene editing in these contexts to overcome some of these limitations? Are we actually now morally obligated to do genetic engineering in order to adapt to those environments?” Overbey continued, “If we're changing our genetic code, making permanent changes, are we changing how we define humans as a species, and making changes to genomes that will affect future generations?” Nesvold expanded on these ethical conundrums: “If we want to have self-sustaining human settlements in space, we have to figure out whether human reproduction is possible in space, with all the weightlessness and the radiation. “Is there some way that we can engineer astronauts to be more radiation-resistant or to overcome the fluid shifts that are going to cause different sorts of cognitive effects?” asked Overbey. Opportunities to protect and prepare the human body in advance of space travel, and for longer-term survival on Mars, are now on the horizon with bioengineering technologies like CRISPR gene editing and immunotherapy. Ethical quandaries abound if we engineer a “better human” for space travel. How do we do that, and how do we assess and prospect for the resources we might need? How do we print bricks, because we're going to need to build a habitat? Can we create bioregenerative habitats that take CO 2 and turn it back into oxygen, either through plants or microbes? We're also looking at developing synthetic microbes that can carry out specific processes that might be beneficial to humans.” 6. “Through NASA's biological and physical science programs, we’re experimenting with things like growing food on the moon. “One of the things that we need to focus on is sustainability, because for every ounce of material you take with you, you also have to provide fuel to get it there,” Phillips-Lander pointed out. A key goal is to investigate how space vehicles can be modified so that all astronauts and explorers-regardless of disability on Earth-can thrive in space.ĥ. Why don't we have disabled astronauts? What would it look like to redesign our space technology, to make it more accessible to people with disabilities?” Nesvold highlighted projects such as AstroAccess, which has just started launching disabled scientists, veterans, athletes, students, and artists on parabolic flights to experience weightlessness and low gravity conditions. ![]() This means that the people who have gone to space so far have primarily been very healthy, able-bodied people, which leaves out a huge portion of our population who are disabled. If you wanted to go to space, you need to be able to pass the astronaut selection, including a really strict health screening. “Until now, the people who are able to go to space were the people selected by agencies like NASA, or more recently, people who have been able to afford space tourism flights. ![]() “Deciding who among the 8 billion of us gets to go up into space, and even go to Mars, is a tough question,” said Erika Nesvold, PhD, a co-founder of the JustSpace Alliance, which advocates for a more ethical, inclusive future in space. Who gets to go? It is not too soon to call for disability inclusion in space exploration. Scientists hope the new technique will enable extensive research into DNA repair aboard the ISS.3. This particular technique focuses on DNA damage known as double-strand break, which is a particularly harmful type. The technique allows the DNA repair mechanisms to be observed in better detail than is possible with non-specific damage using radiation or other sources. The process uses CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to create precise damage in DNA strands to allow DNA repair mechanisms to be observed. Now astronauts aboard the ISS have developed a new method for studying DNA repair in yeast cells that can be conducted completely in space. Until now, technological and safety obstacles have limited research into the issue. NASA is working hard on studying DNA repair in space because astronauts traveling outside of the atmosphere have an increased risk of DNA damage due to ionizing radiation. However, there are multiple natural strategies inside cells that allow damaged DNA to be repaired. In both humans and animals, damaged DNA can lead to cancer.
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