A simple medical issue as mundane as an infection is far more dangerous when orbiting the Earth hundreds of miles above the surface in a confined spacecraft. In short, there are compelling reasons to be extremely cautious about any possibility of illness when it comes to space travel, particularly given the lack of comprehensive medical equipment or specialized health professionals in orbit. Prolonged space travel has been shown to affect astronauts’ vision, bone density, and blood circulation. An astronaut and Crew-8 mission crew member, who returned to Earth in October 2024, had to be hospitalized upon their return. However, NASA has promised “further updates within the next 24 hours.”More on astronaut health: When Astronauts Enter Space, a “Dark Genome” Activates in Their DNA