--- title: "There’s a Fascinating Reason These Astronauts’ Eyes Look So Strange" description: "Do Not Avert Now that's an unnerving gaze. Astronauts gearing up for SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn mission have recently puzzled the fine, space-obsessed netizens of the world with their strange, almost creepy looking eyes that look like something out of Minority Report. \"What's with the weird Photoshop in each Polaris Dawn crew member's eye?\" read […]" date: "2022-10-25" modified: "2022-10-25" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/reason-astronauts-eyes-strange" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "astronauts" - "contact lens" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # There’s a Fascinating Reason These Astronauts’ Eyes Look So Strange ![Onlookers have been puzzled by the weird look in the eyes of the astronauts selected for SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, and there's a cool reason why.]() *\Image: Polaris Program\* ## Do Not Avert Now that's an unnerving gaze. Astronauts gearing up for SpaceX's [private Polaris Dawn mission]() have recently puzzled netizens with their strange, almost creepy eyes that look straight out of "Minority Report." "What's with the weird Photoshop in each Polaris Dawn crew member's eye?" asked [one confused Redditor](). And no, these astronauts don't owe their uncanny looks to a bad Photoshop job, but something way cooler: high tech contact lenses. ## Eye Spy Anna Menon, one of the mission's astronauts and lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, took to Twitter to provide a clear close up of the cyberpunk-looking contacts. In the video, you can see a halo-like ring of light that outlines the inside of her pupils, with a noticeable but small white rectangle reflecting brightly within it, in what's likely responsible for the white speck in the eye [in pictures from afar](). "Eye will be back… for research," [Menon tweeted](), with the "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" theme blaring in the video to boot. https://twitter.com/annawmenon/status/1584609256132599808 ## Sans Solution According to Menon, the specialized contact lenses will be worn by all the astronauts to measure intraocular pressure. It's part of a University of Colorado Boulder study into the recently discovered affliction called [spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome](). SANS, as it's more readily known, causes swelling of the optic nerve, changes in the eye's shape and structure, and as a result of all that, can blur astronauts' vision. Its long term effects aren't well known, nor are its causes, but by having the astronauts wear the micro-sensor equipped "smart" contact lenses, scientists hope to measure how the eye adapts once it enters microgravity. The current theory maintains that fluid shifts in the eye and brain are responsible for SANS symptoms, which the scientists believe could be confirmed from the contact lenses' data. And if the data doesn't pan out, the contact lenses at least make a unique piece of astronaut fashion. **More on SpaceX:** [*Billionaire Buys SpaceX Moon Trip For Him and His Wife*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()