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A Russian scientist says manned Martian flights could render a male astronaut sterile, shrink his musculature and weaken his bones. Valeri Polyakov's comments came during an international symposium on gravitational physiology that began Monday at Moscow's Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosti reported. "A flight to the Red Planet and back will certainly destroy the reproductive function, what with long exposure to hard radiation. Weightlessness, too, will have its effect causing muscular atrophy and excreting calcium from the bones," Polyakov said. A male astronaut headed for Mars ought to be no younger than sixty, he said. "It would be unwise and downright cruel to send selfless boys to Mars, even if they have a long space record." Polyakov gained the endurance record for space flight after he spent 438 days at the Mir orbital station. Topics set for discussion include changes in the immune system in zero gravity and the effects of zero gravity on the vestibular apparatus and the ear. Participants will exchange information about the effects of hypergravity and microgravity on the growth and development of animals, cell biology and the biochemistry of plants. All rights reserved. Copyright 2004 by United Press International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by United Press International. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of by United Press International. Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
All Dressed Up And Ready To Explore
by Ryan SmithEdmonton (SPX) May 26, 2004 As if getting to Mars wasn't hard enough, astronauts also have to worry about what to wear when they arrive. Their concerns are not fashion pundits but exposure to micrometeor sandstorms, radiation, and a hyper-cold climate. |
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