Dealing with illness in outer space
Living on the International Space Station sounds cool, but there's no hospital up there.
That's why NASA does strict health checks before launch and has solid plans for handling sickness or emergencies in microgravity.
Thanks to these measures, astronauts rarely need to be sent home for health reasons.
Each crew includes a medical officer
Each crew includes a Medical Officer trained to deal with health problems, armed with a kit full of essentials like antibiotics, sedatives, and even a portable ultrasound.
Doing CPR in zero gravity is tricky—they have to strap themselves down!
If things get serious, astronauts can video chat with doctors on Earth for instant advice and diagnosis.
What if treatment in space isn't enough?
If treatment in space isn't enough, astronauts can hop into a Soyuz or SpaceX capsule and be back on Earth within hours—though that hasn't happened yet.
Most issues so far have been minor and treated onboard.
For future deep-space missions where quick returns aren't possible, NASA is working on AI-powered tools and robotic helpers so crews can handle more medical stuff themselves.