Could spaceflight-associated immune system weakening preclude the expansion of human presence beyond Earth’s orbit?

2009/08/18 by Nathan Guéguinou, Cècile Huin‐Schohn, Matthieu Bascove +4 · 1 citation
Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Spaceflight effects on biology #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #High Altitude and Hypoxia

paper · doi:10.1189/jlb.0309167

openalex publication_date 2009/08/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

This year, we celebrate the 40th birthday of the first landing of humans on the moon. By 2020, astronauts should return to the lunar surface and establish an outpost there that will provide a technical basis for future manned missions to Mars. This paper summarizes major constraints associated with a trip to Mars, presents immunological hazards associated with this type of mission, and shows that our current understanding of the immunosuppressive effects of spaceflight is limited. Weakening of the immune system associated with spaceflight is therefore an area that should be considered more thoroughly before we undertake prolonged space voyages.

Citations

• Norepinephrine as a growth stimulating factor in bacteria—mechanistic studies
• Functional diversity of helper T lymphocytes
• β2-Adrenergic receptor stimulation inhibits nitric oxide generation by Mycobacterium avium infected macrophages
• Review of the Knowledge of Microbial Contamination of the Russian Manned Spacecraft
• "Principles of Interactive Computer Graphics, " by W. M. Newman and R. F. Sproull (Book Review).

Cited by

• Human spaceflight [wikipedia]