By- Srushti sharma
Astronauts are subjected to weightlessness and substantial doses of galactic cosmic radiation during space missions.
Even after a time of prolonged recovery, simulation studies on male rats revealed that these features of spaceflight can have a deleterious impact on vascular tissues related to erectile dysfunction
Given that human space flights are scheduled for the upcoming years, this research suggests that astronauts' sexual health should be constantly examined after they return to Earth.
Scientists are thus looking at how space affects human health in order to make sure that humanity is ready for those extended stays in space.
Vascular tissues may be harmed by extremely powerful particles linked to extraterrestrial phenomena like supernova explosions and the microgravity of space.
On Earth, humans are shielded from the high-energy charged particles that comprise cosmic radiation because of our planet’s magnetosphere.
"While erectile dysfunction affects more than half of men over the age of 40 and represents an important factor for life satisfaction, the consequences of space travel on erectile function are still obscure
They used 86 adult male Fisher-344 rats as subjects, however, so these results are yet to reach human testing.
The rats were first exposed to simulated microgravity and simulated galactic cosmic rays in groups at the NASA-operated Space Radiation Laboratory located in New York.