Just a few decades ago, astronauts were our best and brightest--elite heroes in every sense of the word. Then NASA took a few steps back, the space program started inching toward the private sector, and our idea of an astronaut became Lance Bass. (Who didn't even end up going into space.) While astronauts of yesteryear had to meet rigorous physical and psychological standards in order to leave Earth, a new study from UTMB has some optimistic findings for everyday folks like you, me, and Mr. Bass. The study, published in the journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, found that average people with "common medical problems" like high blood pressure and asthma will probably be just fine in outer space. You might not need to be a superhuman after all. "Physiological stresses of flight include increased acceleration forces, or 'G-forces,' during launch and re-entry, as well as the microgravity period," said lead author Dr. Rebecca Blue. The news also appears in the Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal, NBC News and Science Daily.