Longer stays in weightlessness are not safe for your health and, according to a recent study, can even lead to erectile dysfunction.
Staying outside the atmospheres and celestial bodies, in addition to the prospect of death in the interstellar void, could deter many space travel candidates.
According to a study published in The FASEB Journal, American researchers have concluded that cosmic radiation has an impact on the sexual health of astronauts after a trip to space.
The scientists experimented with a group of rats suspended from harnesses and another held on the ground to simulate microgravity, while some rodents were exposed to galactic cosmic rays in a simulator, Geo magazine reported Tuesday .
According to the same study, researchers found narrowing of blood vessels in the penises of rodents exposed to cosmic radiation over a period of one year.
Microgravity may therefore play a role in these erectile dysfunctions, although with limited effects, according to scientists, who state that one year of experience in rats would be equivalent to several decades in humans.