How does space change the human body? - What in the World podcast, BBC World Service

Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams recently returned to Earth after a longer-than-expected nine months in space.

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Their journey back from the International Space Station (ISS) took 17 hours. And when the astronauts emerged from their space craft they were helped on to a stretcher, which is standard practice after spending so long in a weightless environment.

The BBC’s Caroline Steel has been looking into how going into space impacts the body. She talks us through how muscles, bones and even vision are affected, and how astronauts can limit any long-term damage. Peggy Whitson holds the world record for the woman who has spent most time in space - 675 days. She tells us about the challenges of lifting weights while in zero gravity. 

Plus, space suit engineer Charlotte Pouwels shares how space suits work, and how they keep astronauts safe and comfortable.

0:00 Intro
1:16 How does it feel in space?
1:49 Earth’s magnetic field
2:07 Impact on the body
3:10 Damage to eyes
3:48 How the impacts are measured
4:12 How to combat motion sickness
5:13 Caroline put to the test
6:14 Astronaut twins experiment
7:56 Radiation damage
8:46 How astronauts prepare
9:55 Astronaut with world record
10:30 Astronaut exercises
11:04 How we keep astronauts safe
11:21 Space suits
12:09 Space suit designer

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