Hardwiring People for Space

Space travel can be risky long after a rocket is launched. Those who go to space are subject to higher levels of radiation than experienced on Earth, which can increase their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. Changes in gravity can also have extended impacts on a person’s genes.

Consequently, scientists have proposed using CRISPR to edit the genes of astronauts before they go into space to protect their bodies from long-term impacts. Though such a treatment is not yet possible, the potential for a future with a subset of people designed to live in space — Homo spatialis — remains.