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The ISS is 'too clean', and it could be making astronauts sick (www.abc.net.au)

submitted 2 days ago by otter to c/[email protected]

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Summary from elsewhere

The International Space Station (|SS) has low microbial diversity, which could lead to astronaut health issues, according to a study published in Cell.

Researchers found that the microbial communities resemble those found in sanitized environments like hospitals rather than natural settings.

Co-senior study author Pieter Dorrestein explains that increasing microbial exposure could improve astronaut health during long-term space travel.

The study suggests incorporating natural elements, like soil, into the ISS to enhance microbial diversity and astronaut well-being.

The study in question:

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00108-4

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

wish we could divert all of human space flight budget to automating probes.

If we spent half as much resources on the space industry as we did on war and conflict, we'd have colonized the entire system by now. Space is such a tiny fraction of the things the world spends money on. It's pathetic. It's not this massive drain on resources you think it is. The US military wastes an entire Apollo program's worth of money in probably a month.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Space exploration has always been at mercy of politicians, especially manned spaceflight. It's only recently we've got a long-term space station used for real research, and it's about to be decommissioned because there is no political clout to be gained from sending humans to low Earth orbit anymore. Unlike planting a flag on Moon or Mars for which politicians are willing to spend trillions (but which has dubious scientific value).

Automatic probes are the only real future for space exploration because they are much cheaper than manned space programs (and thus easier to fund) and you can send them farther.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I completely agree. I’m referring to the existing funding mechanism, where decisions have to be made on which programs get a slice of a very small pie. Human space flight operations are an inefficient use of limited funds at this stage.

Especially with regards to Mars. I think it’s a massive mistake to be pushing for Mars colonization at all, until we can manufacture most of what’s needed in space or on Mars, and not have to send every single bolt up the gravity well.