36. Will bone mass deteriorate? How thin do bones get? Could gravity be induced during a trip to reduce bone loss? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

Bone is like muscle—it responds to stress by growing cells to get stronger. In micro-gravity, bones will lose mass unless counter-measures such as exercise or special medicines are taken. Because the health of people in space is so important, counter-measures are always used to help the bone health of astronauts, so we do not know how thin bones can get in space. In the past, bone loss in space has looked a lot like the disease osteoporosis, except that when astronauts come back to Earth, the loss is reversed. It is possible to spin a spacecraft or a chamber in a spacecraft to create what is called centrifugal force. That force would feel like gravity to your body.

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Answer provided by Col. USAF Dr. Richard S. Williams

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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