Spending long periods in space not only leads to muscle atrophy and reductions in bone density, it also seems to have lasting effects on the brain. Neuroimaging studies (amongst others from this LMU team of researchers) has hinted at this over the last three years. However, little is known if the observed brain-structural alterations are harmless or clinically relevant. LMU physicians Professor Peter zu Eulenburg and Professor Alexander Choukér together with renowned researchers from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Russian colleagues have assessed the structural integrity of the human brain via blood-based markers in astronauts after return from a long-duration mission. The researchers could demonstrate with their pilot study published in JAMA Neurology that there are strong indications for brain injury and accelerated aging following a long-duration mission.

When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, it represented humanity's first significant foray into the cosmos. Our imagination was opened to the wonder and lure of space for human endeavor as science fiction suddenly became science fact.

A space arms race?

At the time, the prevailing Cold War mentality contributed to suspicion and fear about what it meant to be in space, and resulted in the military roots of space technology and applications. John F. Kennedy famously stated that "if the Soviets control space they can control the earth, as in past centuries the nation that controlled the seas dominated the continents."

The Space Race, as it would become known, was characterized by fierce competition between the Soviet Union and the United States to achieve space superiority.

Inside a huge crater in Israel's sun-baked Negev desert, a team wearing space suits ventures forth on a mission to simulate conditions on Mars.

The Austrian Space Forum has set up a pretend Martian base with the Israeli space agency at Makhtesh Ramon, a 500-metre (1,600-foot) deep, 40 kilometre (25 mile) wide crater.

The six so-called "analogue astronauts" will live in isolation in the virtual station until the end of the month.

"It's a dream come true," Israeli Alon Tenzer, 36, told AFP. "It's something we've been working on for years.