Question

Astronauts increased in height by an average of approximately 40 mm (about an inch and a half) during the Apollo-Soyuz missions, due to the absence of gravity compressing their spines during their time in space. Does something similar happen here on Earth

Answer 1

Yes. Something similar occurs here on Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

Gravity tends to pull objects perpendicularly to the ground. In space, the absence of this force means there is no compression on the spine due to gravity trying to pull it down. This means that astronauts undergo an increase in height in space.

Here on Earth, we experience gravity pull on our spine during the day. At night when we sleep, we lie down with our spine parallel to the ground, which means that our spine is no longer under compression from gravity force. The result is that we are a few centimetres taller in the morning when we wake up, than we are before going to bed at night. The increase is not much pronounced here on Earth because there is a repeated cycle of compression and decompression of our spine due to gravity, unlike when compared to that of astronauts that spend long duration in space, all the while without gravity forces on their spine