Skip to content

Unexplainable.net

Watching The World Change

  • What’s an Easy Way to Make the Satanism Acceptable? Make It Fashionable. Information and Theories
  • Appian Way , An Infamous Ancient Roman Road III Ancient Civilizations
  • High Generals of Ancient Macedonian Part IV Ancient Civilizations
  • U.S. Goverment Agency Acronyms NASA Articles
  • Haunted Churches in the United States Ghost And Demons
  • What is Scrying? Meditation And Spirituality
  • Deadly Foods You Might Be Eating II Information and Theories
  • Russian Scientists Believe Life May dwell on Europa Space and Astrology

Astronauts GROW Taller In Space

Posted on March 12, 2004 By jim No Comments on Astronauts GROW Taller In Space

An Astronaut on an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Did you know that astronauts are up to 2 inches taller while they’re in space? As soon as they come back to Earth, though, they return to their normal height. What happens in space is not an optical illusion, but one more example of how microgravity affects our bodies.

Imagine that the vertebrae in your back form a giant spring. Pushing down on the spring keeps it coiled tightly. When the force is released, the spring stretches out. In the same way, the spine elongates by up to three percent while humans travel in space. There is less gravity pushing down on the vertebrae, so they can stretch out – up to 7.6 centimeters (3 inches).

To some degree, a similar stretching of the spine happens to you every night. When you lie down, gravity isn’t pushing down on your vertebrae. You can do your own experiments with a meterstick. Measure your height carefully as soon as you get up or while you are still lying down. You will find that you’re about a centimeter or two taller. That’s not as much as astronauts change in space. The idea, however, is the same. As the day passes, your vertebrae compress through normal activities, and you’ll lose those few centimeters you “grew” overnight.

A spring is similar to your backbone

There are two theories to explain why the spine gets longer, says Dr. Sudhakar Rajulu. He is a researcher at Johnson Space Center’s Habitability and Environmental Factors Office. The first theory is that elongation only happens to the spine. It does not have a major effect on other areas of the body, such as the legs or arms. The reason is because those bones are not compressible like the discs in the spine. The natural curve of the spine is straightened somewhat in space. Without the usual force of gravity pushing down on it, the spine is freer to relax.

The second theory about spinal elongation says that the discs between each vertebra are pressed together in regular gravity. This compression is due to the pressure pulling the spine downward. When gravity is lowered in space, the discs are able to hold more spinal fluid. This makes them larger. It also puts more space between each vertebra.

Regardless of the reason for this spinal elongation, there are two types of change seen in an astronaut’s height while in space. The first change is seen as soon as the space vehicle goes into the orbit. That is when most of the elongation takes place. The second is a smaller, more gradual change over time. This gradual relaxation of the spine eventually stops. If astronauts stayed in space forever, they would not continue to grow and grow.

A human spinal column
 

For the most part, astronauts’ extra growth doesn’t cause a problem. But, since crew members wear custom-fitted pressurized suits when launching and landing, the suits need to be made large enough to have room for this change in height. Also, the Russian Soyuz vehicle has size limits in seating height. (Astronauts sometimes ride the Soyuz to launch from and return to Earth.) If crew members were too tall, it could pose a problem. “The spine is compressible, so astronauts might be able to squish to fit in, but if it’s a tight fit to begin with, it might be too tight,” says Rajulu.

So far, this has not been a problem. The Soyuz was designed to carry Russian cosmonauts. It was first used by American astronauts during the U.S.-MIR missions. The Russians had height limits smaller than those of American astronauts. Some Americans were too tall to fit in the seating areas. The Soyuz was chosen to be the emergency crew return vehicle for the International Space Station. So, the United States asked Russia to adjust the seats for taller American crew members.

The data about human spines in space was first gathered from the Skylab missions. This was more than 20 years ago. Six astronauts were studied. All six showed almost three percent growth. The spines returned to normal curvature as soon as the astronauts hit regular gravity. Then, they were back to normal within 10 days.

GLOSSARY

Compress – to make smaller by pressing

Elongation – the act of lengthening an object

Habitability and Environmental Factors Office – the office of NASA that is responsible for providing a safe and productive environment for any human spacecraft or habitat

Vertebra – one of the bony sections of the spinal column

Published by NASAexplores

Information and Theories

Post navigation

Previous Post: Inside Venus, Air On Venus, And On Top Of Venus Explaination
Next Post: Pizza Banned In Space – Not Good Spacefood

Related Posts

  • Could There be Alien Life in Mono Lake? Information and Theories
  • The Vatican and Your Trust Information and Theories
  • Gravity Compression Theory Information and Theories
  • Security Simians to Patrol Games Information and Theories
  • 5 Ancient Quotes on Leadership Information and Theories
  • What’s In Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion Tea? Information and Theories

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The Meat Eater couple arrested for child abuse
  • The Meat-Eater boxer kidnapped and raped a young school Girl
  • Carnist man arrested for 198 years for raping and shooting a woman
  • Mitch McConnell- Eating Cow Corpses
  • Animal Flesh Eater Arrested: Felony Charges Serious Injury To 3 Month Old!

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2018
  • February 2018
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • February 2016
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • July 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004
  • August 2004
  • July 2004
  • June 2004
  • May 2004
  • April 2004
  • March 2004
  • February 2004
  • January 2004
  • December 2003
  • November 2003
  • October 2003

Categories

  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Benjamin Fulford Story
  • Corrupt Carnivores
  • Cryptology and Monsters
  • Eating Healthy
  • Ghost And Demons
  • Information and Theories
  • Mars Coverage
  • Meditation And Spirituality
  • Mysteries
  • NASA Articles
  • Other Exciting News
  • Personal Accounts
  • Pictures And Multimedia
  • Political Conspiracies
  • Recent Submissions
  • Religion Articles
  • Self Improvement
  • Simply Unexplainable
  • Space and Astrology
  • Technology Articles
  • True Stories
  • UFOs and Aliens
  • Unexplainable Video Library
  • Unexplainable Weather
  • It’s Not a Hoax: “Cyclops Kitten” Other Exciting News
  • The total electric charge in the Universe is a constant quantity Simply Unexplainable
  • The church- the bride Recent Submissions
  • Stephen Hawking: Life Elsewhere in Universe Very Likely UFOs and Aliens
  • The Russian UFO Crash of 1969 UFOs and Aliens
  • Forces of Nature , Hurricane Facts , Categories & More Information and Theories
  • Is this the Digital Television Conspiracy? Technology Articles
  • Mormonism vs Mainstream Christianity Part 1 Religion Articles

Copyright © 2023 Unexplainable.net.

Powered by PressBook News Dark theme