Ong Joshua, Mader Thomas, Gibson Charles Robert, Suh Alex, Panzo Nicholas, Memon Hamza, Lee Ryung, Soares Benjamin, Waisberg Ethan, Sampige Ritu, Nguyen Tuan, Kadipasaoglu Cihan, Guo Yannie, Vineyard Kelsey, Masalkhi Mouayad, Osteicoechea Daniela, Vizzeri Gianmarco, Chévez-Barrios Patricia, Berdahl John, Barker Donald C, Schmitt Harrison H, Lee Andrew G
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, United States.
NASA Ophthalmology Consultant, Moab, UT, United States.
Life Sci Space Res (Amst). 2025 Aug;46:169-186. doi: 10.1016/j.lssr.2025.05.005. Epub 2025 May 9.
Ocular health is critical for overall astronaut health requirements given its essential role for mission performance and safety. The ocular surface is a vital structure to the visual system and is essential for ocular protection and the refraction of light for focused vision. Data from the 2024 NASA Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health identified that Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts (N = 257) queried during post-flight eye exams reported symptoms of eye irritation (34 %), dry eyes (14 %), and foreign body sensation (21 %). Given these findings, it is critical to understand the risks that the ocular surface faces in the spaceflight environment. This manuscript explores the impact of lunar dust, space radiation, lunar gravity, and microgravity on the astronaut ocular surface. Furthermore, we outline ongoing efforts to minimize associated health risks given our insights into the vision standards, testing procedures, corrective measures, and mitigations designed for the lunar surface and microgravity environments. We further discuss the ophthalmic medications available on space missions to address threats to the ocular surface. We also report personal insights from Dr. Harrison Schmitt, NASA astronaut and Apollo 17 moonwalker, on his experience in space and lunar dust human physiological interactions. Additionally, given the known physiologic changes in microgravity and expectations for partial gravity environments, our review prompted characterization of accelerated aging and gut microbiome on the development of dry eye. We also discuss the potential expansion of ophthalmic imaging capabilities during spaceflight missions and its utility. Addressing these factors is critical to uphold astronauts' ocular health and to ensure the safety of future space missions.
鉴于眼部健康对任务执行和安全起着至关重要的作用，它对于满足宇航员的整体健康需求至关重要。眼表是视觉系统的重要结构，对于眼部保护以及光线折射以实现聚焦视觉至关重要。2024年美国国家航空航天局（NASA）宇航员健康终身监测的数据表明，在飞行后眼部检查中接受询问的航天飞机和国际空间站（ISS）宇航员（N = 257）报告有眼部刺激症状（34%）、干眼（14%）和异物感（21%）。鉴于这些发现，了解眼表在太空飞行环境中面临的风险至关重要。本手稿探讨了月球尘埃、太空辐射、月球重力和微重力对宇航员眼表的影响。此外，鉴于我们对为月球表面和微重力环境制定的视力标准、测试程序、矫正措施和缓解措施的了解，我们概述了为尽量减少相关健康风险而正在进行的努力。我们还讨论了太空任务中可用于应对眼表威胁的眼科药物。我们还报告了NASA宇航员、阿波罗17号登月者哈里森·施密特博士关于他在太空的经历以及月球尘埃与人类生理相互作用的个人见解。此外，鉴于微重力环境下已知的生理变化以及对部分重力环境的预期，我们的综述促使人们对加速衰老和肠道微生物群在干眼症发展中的作用进行了表征。我们还讨论了太空飞行任务期间眼科成像能力的潜在扩展及其效用。解决这些因素对于维护宇航员的眼部健康以及确保未来太空任务的安全至关重要。
