Long-Term Space Flight Requires Special Consideration for Eyes

Space flight has changed dramatically from the days of the Mercury and Apollo programs. With an eye towards Mars, research is being done to see what impact long-term flights will have on a person's body.

Working at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Byron L. Lam, MD, is just a short drive from arguably the heart of space flight in the United States and said his research can help move that effort forward in the future. Lam, speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO 2016) in Chicago, Illinois, said as space flights get longer, doctors will need to know better how to address these and other issues to ensure the health of astronauts and regular space travelers alike.