It's about damn time for NASA astronauts to get health care for life
NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria flew to space four times for the space agency between 1995 and 2007
While in space, his eyesight deteriorated, a well-documented medical issue NASA's known about for years, and one that many astronauts have experienced first-hand. For many astronauts, their eyesight readjusts once they get back to Earth
That wasn’t the case for Lopez-Alegria, though. His eyesight got significantly worse during his time in orbit, and NASA isn't paying for his contacts or doctor visits today, years after his retirement from the agency
However, he still travels to Houston, Texas once per year to allow the agency to gather data about his health, without any expectation that NASA will offer treatment for any conditions that may have developed because of his time in space Read more...
More about Space Exploration, Human Spaceflight, Spaceflight, Congress, and Politics