COSTS AND HAZARDS OF SPACE EXPLORATION

COSTS AND HAZARDS

Hazards of travelling to and from space Exposure to damage from intense solar

radiation Collision with a comet, asteroid, or other space

debris Loss of human life Economic loss Loss of years of work Earth’s atmosphere...burning up Equipment is expensive

Mars probes lost

COSTS AND HAZARDS

Living in Space No air or water Cosmic rays and solar radiation Risk of being hit by space debris No atmosphere

Wide range of temperatures No life-providing gases (oxygen) No pressure (which keeps our bodily fluids from

boiling at room temp Long trips in confined living space

Psychological problems

COSTS AND HAZARDS

Microgravity Must physically adapt to environment with little

to no gravity Health problems

Heart doesn’t have to pump as hard weakens Muscles not used as much weaken (up to 40%

muscle mass) Bones have less pressure on them lose minerals

and weaken Can lose bone mass at 2%/month in microgravity

RBC (red blood cell) production declines Immunity system weakens

Increase in risk of infection, decrease ability to fight infection

REDUCING EFFECTS OF MICROGRAVITY Exercise in space to keep fit

Cardiovascular training (heart and circulatory system)

Resistance training (weightlifting) Astronauts could not stand up for a few days

after returning to Earth the first few times Studies of negative health effects related

to microgravity may lead to new treatments for the care of the elderly Same as those that happen when humans age Treatments for osteoporosis

COSTS AND HAZARDS

Living on the Moon Must use materials found locally

Lunar soil (metals, materials to make concrete, glass, ceramics)

Water’s too heavy to launch in quantity from Earth We don’t know if there’s water on the moon

Maybe it’s in the craters in shadow in the moon Hydrogen and oxygen are in lunar rock, maybe we can

make water!?

Getting around on the moon “Moon buggy” New spacesuit

So astronauts can spend more time outside the “base”

COSTS AND HAZARDS

Visiting Mars Lack of shield from solar radiation No shielding greatly increased risk of cancer No oxygen on Mars Pressure is at 1/100th of that of Earth Many sandstorms Atmosphere will not support life Newer and improved space suits are necessary Much material will have to be sent ahead of

astronauts Pre-made facility to live in Air, heating, cooling, etc installed

RETURN TRIP!?

VOCABULARY

Microgravity: the condition in which the gravitational forces that act on a mass are greatly reduced