Scientists believe that humans traveling 40 million miles to Mars could age more quickly than those still living on Earth. They are searching for ways to prevent this from happening.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, will study the first all civilian crew to visit the International Space Station next month, before and after their trip.
They look for signs early on of senescence. Senescence is a condition in which a cell stops dividing but does not die.
The crew will be on a 10-day journey to the International Space Station. However, there is hope that they can spot early signs of senescence which could lead to longer-haul trips.

The Axiom Mission 1 will send former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael López-Alegría to space as commander, alongside three others

Rochester-based experts from Mayo Clinic, Minnesota will examine the first civilian crew that visits the International Space Station in March (Stock photo)
The Telegraph was informed by Dr James Kirkland who is the study’s lead.
China and NASA hope to send astronauts to Mars by 2030s. Elon Musk believes that he will reach the Red Planet in this decade.
Axiom Space will send a team of four civilian astronauts, in a chartered SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station at the end February.
The Axiom Mission 1 will send former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael López-Alegría to space as commander, alongside three others.
The US-based entrepreneur Larry Connor and the non-profit activist investors Mark Pathy are pilots. Eytan Stibbe is an Israeli impact investor.
The Mayo Clinic team will take blood and urine samples from the four members of the civilian crew, and hunt for signs of senescence.
The goal is to find out whether routine spaceflight is linked to cell senescence, and if it is, that would require further intervention before anyone launches for Mars.
The Van Allen belt is a magnetic protective bubble that protects Earth from solar radiation.
It means spaceflight should not have any impact on travellers to the ISS, as it might for crews going to Mars.
Kirkland stated that routine spaceflight without ever going beyond Van Allen Belt will help us determine if cell senescence is associated with it.
If we observe senescence under such conditions, we’d definitely want to work on preparations for a longer mission. Before interplanetary flight is possible, something will need to be done.
An earlier study revealed that people who travel to the Moon are five times more likely than people who only go to the ISS from low earth orbit to get heart disease.
According to Mayo Clinic, senescence is a condition in which cells within the body become less active and more able to withstand the effects of ageing.
This is a state in which the body can’t replace non-functioning cells. They build up and release chemicals that promote inflammation.

The Mayo Clinic team will draw blood and urine from each member of the civil crew and look for signs of senescence.

Although the crew will not be at serious risk of becoming old, the ten-day trip to the International Space Station is expected to help them spot early signs that could lead to longer haul flights.
In youth, they are vital as they can be found around injuries and signal the immune system that damage must be repaired. When someone is young, they are usually cleared away. However, as we age, our ability to remove them is diminished.
Senescence occurs when cells undergo stress. This can include radiation exposure or low gravity.
The researchers claim that DNA cell senescence is caused by low gravity.
According to Dr Kirkland, the crew of the ISS will remain inside the Van Allen Belt, but what happens if there’s a Mars mission and if there’s a solar flare? That would mean you have to deal with atomic radiation.
“We found out that very low doses atomic radiation could drive cells into senescence, at lower levels than either x-rays nor gamma.
It could also pass through spacecraft because of atomic radiation. This makes it difficult for them to slow down. If there are Mars missions, this could pose a serious problem.
“I am a doctor, not a scientist in space, so I have a biased view. But, I would say that the problem with health is very serious, and I’m extremely worried about what I’ve seen.
Mayo Clinic specialists are testing the crew members and sending in isolated cells from human cells. They will be incubating them in an incubator to test if they become dormant under ISS conditions.

China and NASA are hoping to send astronauts along the 40 million-mile journey to Mars in 2030s. Elon Musk also believes they can reach Mars this decade. NASA Artemis astronauts, shown, may visit Mars in future.
The cells are at the edge of senescence. We want to test if zero gravity and the G forces in the capsule and radiation can drive pre-senescent cells into senescence. They’ll also have control cells similar to those found on Earth,” the team said.
According to the authors, if they find that spaceflight is causing cellular ageing it won’t be the end for Mars missions. There are many clinical trials underway in drugs that could counter this process.
These drugs are known as senolytics and can help improve physical function for people with diseases due to cell senescence.