Female Supremacy Articles - Page 13

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In particular, men in their thirties and forties are much more likely to develop the first signs of heart disease, a condition exacerbated by space travel. Women are protected from this by their comparatively high levels of oestrogen.

Drug treatments during space flight are not recommended because they are not readily absorbed in weightless conditions, the liver and the kidneys do not function at their best and the drug compounds deteriorate more quickly owing to the higher levels of radiation experienced in space.

Men are also disadvantaged because they retain much higher levels of iron in the body than women, particularly in space, and this can reach toxic levels. Women’s reduced body mass, which requires fewer calories and produces less waste, also makes them yet more suitable as long-term astronauts.

There is one drawback to having an all-female crew, said Prof Rowe. They should avoid space walks during menstruation because of the increased risk at that time of decompression sickness, resulting from lower total blood volume.

Regardless of that risk, however, Prof Rowe remained adamant that women would be much better placed than men to take a trip to Mars, a mission with an expected duration of two years. He said: "The cards are stacked against man in space."

Britain’s first woman in space was Helen Sharman, who became an astronaut after responding to an advertisement which said: "Astronaut wanted - no experience necessary."