Space – oh, yes, the final frontier! – is an extremely inhospitable environment where physical and mental dangers lurk everywhere.
Physical Hazards
The very first bodily risk a space traveler takes is the launch. After all, the astronaut or cosmonaut is seating a top a missile loaded with explosives. When the – hopefully – controlled explosion takes place and the missile is hurled skyward, the vehicle passenger is subject to increased G forces; G being the equivalent to one Earth gravity. The heart has to pump faster to get the blood to circulate, movement and breathing becomes more difficult and the brain suffers from a lack of oxygen. At 5-Gs or more nearly everyone would lose consciousness.
Now in space, with the G Forces matter out of the way, the voyager has other physical problems. Lack of gravity makes him/her feel like he/she is falling. The astronaut might develop nausea. This lack of gravity will cause the loss of bone mass: about 1 % per month. A reduction of muscle strength and mass will also take place. These are not a problem for a short jaunt to the Moon, but going to Mars and beyond…well, weak bones and muscles do not hold well upon a return to Earth.
The loss of muscle and bone strength can be countered up to a point by exercising.
Weightlessness also causes blood to move to the head. The body responds by eliminating fluid and in less than a week, plasma declines 12 % and body water diminishes by two to three percent.
Furthermore, the immune system is impaired and there is a lack of appetite.
However, a main physical hazard in space is radiation: cosmic rays and particles released by the Sun. While only strong solar flares can cause immediate danger, exposure to lower level of radiation for a long time can have serious detrimental effects on a cosmonaut’s health.
The Human Condition
Most physical hazards can be either eliminated or diminished by various methods. More and more, technological advances are resolving these issues.
Bu, the main problem with long-term space travel is that the astronauts are, well, human.
Individuals on a star trek will constantly be threatened by the perils of space travel – explosions, oxygen leaks, meteorites, radiation, errant space debris – which does not lend itself to the best mental health.
Feelings of isolation are common after spending too much time away from family and habitual places. On the other hand, the continuous contact with persons with whom the voyager might not share commonalities will cause additional stress.
An often overlooked aspect is entertainment. Humans need it, but in a small, claustrophobic spacecrafts there is no room for many amenities, if any.
All these deprivation usually lead to lack of sleep and chronic fatigue.
Hygiene is another issue. Washing and waste disposal are not an easy activity while traveling the cosmos. Any malfunction of the apparatus used for these activities can be a major cause of disruption, sickness and even death.
Will Humans go to Mars and Beyond?
Of course we will. Why? For the same reasons we explore the freezing regions of the poles or explore the depth of the ocean or climb the highest mountains; humans are explorers, we want to know.
It won’t be easy and it won’t be cheap. There will be accidents, even deaths, but we, tiny humans will expand our knowledge and our habitat. Who knows? The future of mankind might depend on the ability to reach new planets.
Sources
- Gino, M Colleen . Human Spaceflight
- Dangers of Space Travel To Mars
- Tate, Karl: Space Travel: Danger at Every Phase
Ivan Castro - Ivan Castro, a former reporter for The Miami Herald, is a free lance writer specializing in History and Archeology.
