An article by Irene Klotz and published at Reuters discusses a study
by researchers at Florida State University and NASA that concluded that
Apollo astronauts who went to the Moon were at five times greater
risk of dying from heart disease than shuttle astronauts.
The cited danger is cosmic rays beyond the Earth's magnetic field.
Three Apollo astronauts, including Armstrong, died from cardiovascular
disease.
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Originally Posted by Irene Klotz, Reuters
NASA disputed the findings, saying it was too early to draw conclusions about the effect of cosmic rays on Apollo astronauts because the current data is limited.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Irene Klotz, Reuters
For the study, the researchers examined the death records of 42 astronauts who flew in space, including seven Apollo veterans, and 35 astronauts who died without ever going into space.
They found the Apollo astronauts’ mortality rate from cardiovascular disease was as much as five times higher than for astronauts who never flew, or for those who flew low-altitude missions aboard the space shuttle that orbited a few hundred miles above Earth.
A companion study simulated weightlessness and radiation exposure in mice and showed that radiation exposure was far more threatening to the cardiovascular system than other factors, lead scientist Michael Delp said in an interview.
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Story here -
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sp...-idUSKCN1081MG