With increasing numbers of space travelers (professional astronauts and civilians alike), there is a need to better understand the impact of spaceflight on human health. Short and long duration spaceflight is associated with a myriad of spaceflight-associated hazards including microgravity and radiation exposure; psychological isolation and confinement; and changes to diet, sleep, circadian rhythm, and exercise [1, 2]. Systemic repercussions of spaceflight include loss of muscle mass and bone density, upward fluid shift towards the head, orthostatic intolerance, and radiation sickness [1, 3,4,5].

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS) is a condition unique to spaceflight and is characterized by a constellation of neuro-ocular findings (e.g., optic disc edema, chorioretinal folds, flattening of the posterior globe and hyperopic refractive shift, and thickening of the retinal nerve fiber layer) [6]. Although the precise mechanism for SANS remains ill-defined, several hypotheses have been proposed including microgravity-associated cephalad and orbital fluid shifts; elevated intracranial pressure; and compartmentalization of cerebrospinal fluid within the optic nerve sheath [6]. In contrast to SANS, we describe the effect of spaceflight on the natural and artificial intraocular lens.

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