SpaceX's Inspiration4 Astronauts Got Genetically Younger In Space: Study

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The four crew members of Inspiration4, the first ever all-civilian space mission, got genetically younger during their stay in space, a study has found. But the effects didn't last long. Scientists are now trying to unravel how the space environment affects human DNA.

Inspiration4 crew members had a packed schedule during their three-day trip to space in September 2021. Instead of just floating around in weightlessness and enjoying the breathtaking views from their modified Crew Dragon Resilience space capsule, they lent their bodies to science.

Hayley Arceneaux , the mission's the chief medical officer and trained physician assistant, was busy during their time orbit taking fingerpick blood samples and skin swabs of herself and her crewmates. A battery of tests followed their return to Earth and continued for several months after that.

For example, the researchers observed that markers indicating the aging of DNA decreased in space, making the crewmembers' DNA appear younger and healthier. Those markers, known as telomeres, are caps that protect chromosomes that are known to shorten with age and due to environmental factors and stress.

To see those effects in the Inspiration4 crew members after only a few days in space was even more unexpected, scientists say.