Moon Tourists Warned Against Motion Sickness, Face Swelling, Radiation and 'Life-Changing' Effects of Space Travel

Long-haul flights affect passengers in different ways. This means that space flights for the proposed moon or lunar tourism could result in more than a jet lag to potential space tourists.

Experts warn that those who dream of orbiting the moon aboard SpaceX and its 2018 mission to the moon may experience face swelling, motion sickness and other "life-changing" effects. These are just some of the things that volunteers, who will orbit the moon for a week, should expect.

Extreme Motion Sickness, Vomiting

Astronauts and other experienced individuals offer advice as to what the volunteers could expect. One unsurprising thing volunteers would have to endure is the literally-out-of-this-world vomiting.

"Like every single astronaut who goes into space, they're going to get... very bad motion sickness," Daniel Grant of the Centre for Altitude Space and Extreme Environment Medicine in London, said in an interview with AFP. The extreme motion sickness is due to the confusion of the ability to balance in zero gravity and movements in space.

Body Alterations, Frequent Urination

Experts say that space travel can also alter one's appearance, causing thinner limbs (legs) and puffy face. This is due to the body fluids being pulled down by the Earth's gravity but they spread out in microgravity. Another uncomfortable result is the need to urinate more often than usual.

Not to mention the extensive level of jet lag that space tourist may experience especially if SpaceX is planning to send untrained or non-astronauts to their first journey to orbit the moon.

Radiation and Higher Cancer Risk

Moon tourists must also be warned of exposure to radiation and a higher risk of cancer. A one-time space voyager also shared his experience to the would-be moon travelers. Richard Garriott was fortunate enough to journey to space in 2008.

"Seeing the Earth from space is a profoundly life-changing event," Garriott said in an interview with Time Magazine.

The SpaceX venture is highly controversial since this will be the first time in 45 years that a deep space mission will be conducted with a manned re-entry plan. NASA fully supports the mission and Elon Musk's commercial space company and the future of its manned mission to orbit the moon is looking bright.

"It's a pinnacle life experience. This journey is not one to underestimate," Garriott added.