Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is the only scientist to date to walk on the Moon and was allergic to the dust there.
Schmitt discovered his allergy on the way back to the landing pod. He walked on the Moon in December 1972, the last manned mission to the Moon before the end of the Ąpollo program. While on the celestial surface, the geologist spent time collecting soil and rock samples around the Taurus-Littrow Valley near the Serenity Sea region. When he took off his spacesuit at the landing module, Schmitt was exposed to lunar dust spread throughout the cabin.
Harrison H. Schmitt sampled the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission.
Hɑrrison H. Schmitt sampled the Moon during the Ąpollo 17 mission. (Image: NASA)
“The first time I smelled dust, I had an allergic reaction, the corner of my nose swelled up. You could tell in my voice. But gradually the allergy disappeared. The fourth Once I inhaled the moon dust, I didn’t notice it. Pay attention to it again”says Ѕchmitt.
Schmitt isn’t the only person allergic to moon dust. Once, a surgeon had to stop working while removing his spacesuit in the command module due to the severity of the reaction. According to Schmitt, the problem has many implications for future missions. “For some people, we need to know if they are allergic to long-term exposure to moon dust.”the scientists pointed out.
All the other astronauts were “Lunar allergic rhinitis” to some extent, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). The symptoms they experience, including light sneezing and a stuffy nose, disappear quickly, although they can sometimes last for a few days.
Researchers are trying to solve the problem of allergies which can be more serious due to electrostatic phenomenon. On Earth, dust particles become smooth due to wind and water erosion, while on the Moon, without these conditions, dust is very sharp and pointed. The moon has no atmosphere to prevent radiation, so the ground layer carries static electricity, sometimes dust particles fly in the air, easier to cover the device and stick to the human lungs.
Of particular concern is the size of lunar dust particles and should be considered when returning astronauts here. Dust particles 50 times smaller than a human hair can survive for months in the lungs, according to Kim Prisk, a lung physiologist who studies spaceflight. The longer the dust particles remain, the greater the harmful effects.
Article source: VnExpress
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Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is the only scientist to date to walk on the Moon and was allergic to the dust there.
