Space Sleeping-Bag Could Help Reduce Vision Problems for Astronauts in Zero Gravity

The sack, developed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, could help solve vision problems astronauts have to endure in space.

The sack works by using vacuum tech to pull down body fluids that would otherwise pool in the head causing brain pressure and may prevent vision problems astronauts endure in space.

Vision problem is one of the few hindrances of going to Mars and could compromise the mission making it difficult for astronauts to perform simple tasks. Nasa has documented vision problems in more than half of the astronauts who served for at least 6 months on the international space station (ISS).

“We don’t know how bad the effects might be on a longer flight, like a two-year Mars operation,” Said Prof Levine, who is also the director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine

Here on Earth gravity pulls fluids down into the body each time a person gets out of bed. In space, zero gravity prevents this daily unloading process, causing more than half a gallon of body fluids to gather in the head and apply pressure to the eyeball. This condition is known as SANS (spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome)

To find out more on the study click here:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2787146