The Influence of Gravity Makes It Difficult for Astronauts to Walk When They Arrive on Earth

Something is interesting about watching astronauts who have just arrived on Earth after carrying out their space mission. They have difficulty standing and walking! These astronauts need time to recover their ability to move. For example, you can follow the story of the return of astronauts Scott Kelly from America and Bob Thirsk from Canada. The crew who had been waiting had to help them out of the plane. Apparently, this condition occurs because of the influence of gravity on the human body, you know! What's the impact like? Come on, let's discuss it to make it clearer.

A Glance at Gravity and the Theory of Gravity

Before looking at how gravity affects the human body, let's first see what gravity is. Of course, with a little mention of several theories about gravity, which are quite popular.

Broadly speaking, gravity is a universal attraction that acts between all matter. With gravity on Earth, objects will remain in their position. When an object falls, the direction must be from top to bottom. This is because all objects on the surface of the Earth will always be pulled towards the center of the Earth.

Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation is the simplest and easiest to understand. According to Newton, gravity is an attractive force between objects with mass. According to him, the attractive force is directly proportional to the mass of each object and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Quoting from spaceplace.nasa.gov, another theory that is more accurate and complicated is Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. According to Einstein, gravity is the result of the curvature of space and time due to the presence of mass. This mass will attract other objects around it to approach the source of the curvature. Einstein's theory is suitable for explaining phenomena related to speed and large-mass objects.

With gravity on the Earth, the position of humans and objects will always be attracted towards the Earth's core. That is why humans always keep their feet firmly on the ground, not floating around like astronauts in outer space. Likewise, all objects that fall will definitely go downwards, namely toward the Earth's core as the center of gravity.

This is the Effect of Gravity on the Human Body

Gravity greatly affects the human body system. What's the impact like? First, let's look at how the body's circulatory system works under the influence of gravity. Blood circulation in the human body is related to blood pressure, which is centered on the heart.

The heart will pump blood throughout the body. Starting from the arteries leading to other smaller blood vessels. The movement starts from the top to the bottom (head to feet). On the other hand, without gravity, blood circulation actually moves in the opposite direction. Blood will flow from the feet to the head.

Another influence is changes in bone and muscle mass. Conditions without gravity can reduce muscle function and bone mass. Because, without gravity, there is no pressure on the human body. Because there is no pressure, muscles weaken, and bones become porous more quickly.

That is why, on average, astronauts who have just arrived on Earth will experience problems in their movements. Whether it's difficulty standing, difficulty walking, or problems with blood pressure, they need some time to recover as their body mechanisms adjust to the gravitational force on Earth.

So, after listening to the description above, what do you think? Can you imagine what it would be like if the gravitational force on Earth were reduced? It will definitely feel strange for our bodies. In fact, many things will be hampered because of the absence of gravitational force. Wow, I hope that never happens, OK!

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