Long Term Space Flight

As humans, we are born with a natural desire to learn and discover. With space exploration, we are able to do just that. In an online essay called “Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost”, Dr. Joan Vernikos,

Space exploration is dangerous for human because it will take a long time and when you landed on earth you will have to adjust on earth again and

What happens when you go into space? You lose muscle and bone mass. I found that the astronauts set apart two and a half hours each day are devoted to fitness. If astronauts are not exercising they start losing the bone and muscle that they need. Bone and muscle loss mean decreased size and strength, and can reduce the ability to do the work that they have due the weakness. Once they land on Earth walking difficult by the lose of muscle. Muscle can be built back up with exercise, but when you lose bone is not easy to get back. In the Apollo mission there wasn't room for the exercise equipment that the space station has.

For my original, scientifically-correct science fiction article that I will be writing later on this quarter, I plan to describe the dangers that astronauts face when traveling to outer space. Not only are there numerous unknowns that may arise as challenges, but there are very real health risks that must be addressed. Among those risks are the effects of long term space travel, and the lack of adaptation by the human body, as well as the high amounts of radiation that are present outside of the protection that the Earth provides. To better understand the radiation exposure that astronauts must deal with in space, I will define the risks of exposure to

Missions to space pose a great risk on astronauts. Space exploration risks human life. Staying in a spacecraft is not easy, the conditions are harsh, and making the survival during space travel is a challenge. The effects of radiation on the body and bone loss are all a risk that you must take to go and explore in space. According to the website NASA, “The human body is

One of the main causes of change in the human body is space is the lack of gravity because the body no longer needs to support its weight [1]. This leads not only to muscle loss but the loss of bone tissue as well [1]. Experiments were conducted on rats and some rats lost one third of muscle in particular areas after only seven to ten days [2]. Another experiment found that bone at certain areas was dissolving around 1-2% a month in astronauts [2]. After longer periods, this can jeopardize missions if the astronauts do not have enough muscle or their bones are not strong enough to move safely [2]. In order to prevent muscle and bone loss, NASA is using osteoporosis drugs and exercise [1]. Exercises include an hour of cardio and an hour of weightlifting everyday [2]. The exercise sends signals to the body to build muscle and bone, which resulted in astronauts returning with around the same amount of bone that they had before the mission [1]. Even with exercise, many astronauts are fairly weak when they return, some having trouble to walk [2].

How long would a “long term” space flight be? According to our records, the longest that human has been off Earth is almost 438 days, and it is the mission operated by Russian space station Mir. (Beings not Made for Space, Kenneth Chang, 2014) Long-term space flight requests that astronauts have to be exposed to the real space environment, which includes microgravity, the significant increase in radiation, variation in temperature and space view. The major impacts that I will be talking about are microgravity and space radiation. Due to these changes of space environment from that of the Earth, astronauts will face the changes on their body and health, some of the changes would be negative. For example, astronauts will see the significant changes in their body; their whole bodies will expand, the mass of their bones and muscles would lose, and some of them might have farsighted eyes. There will also be increase in risk of Alzheimer’s disease, damage in immune system and destroys of microbiomes. To build a better space environment, scientists have been working hard to find out what is causing the health issues and ways to solve them. They have done well-known researches such as “Twins Study” between Mark and Kelly Scott. The latest technology that involved is called artificial gravity; it is considered desirable for long-term space flight as well as human habitat in space.

Surviving in space and on another planet for a long span of time is a difficult task to accomplish. Humans require quite a bit of upkeep to stay alive, and when confined to small space shuttle it is difficult to provide all the necessities to survive. For the trip to another planet astronauts have to live in the space shuttle for a long duration. Strategies must be developed to maintain a livable habitat in the shuttle, and also when the astronauts reach the planet they will have to survive on the planet for a long period of time. There are many obstacles in the path of achieving habitability in space and on another planet.

How long would a “long term” space flight be? According to our records, the longest that human has been off Earth is almost 438 days, and it is the mission operated by Russian space station Mir. (Beings not Made for Space, Kenneth Chang, 2014) Long-term space flight requests that astronauts have to be exposed to the real space environment, which includes microgravity, the significant increase in radiation, variation in temperature and space view. Due to these changes of space environment from that of the Earth, astronauts will face the changes on their body and health, some of the changes would be negative. For example, astronauts will see the significant changes in their body; their whole bodies will expand, the mass of their bones and muscles would lose, and some of them might have farsighted eyes. To build a better space environment, scientists have been working hard to find out what is causing the health issues and ways to solve them. They have done well-known researches such as “Twins Study” between Mark and Kelly Scott. The latest technology that involved is called artificial gravity; it is considered desirable for long-term space flight as well as human habitat in space.

One of the major obstacles standing in the way of humans reaching Mars is the massive amount of space radiation that astronauts would encounter. According to NASA science writer Sarah Frazier, strategies for dealing with this radiation already exist, and more are continually being investigated. Many of the prevailing methods of dealing with radiation

The impact on humans is more severe compared to the rest. The immune system has no way to prevent radiation. In fact, it causes a disease called Acute Radiation Syndrome, which basically means

Some of the astronauts experienced visual impairment as well. Overall, Strickland (2017) indicates in the article that the overall findings suggest long-term space flights cause an increase in cerebrospinal fluid, narrowing of the central sulcus, and an upward shift of the brain. However, further research must be done to determine the duration and significance of these changes. This research on the brains of astronauts is crucial because as humans grow more and more technologically advanced and plan for further space exploration and possible colonization of other planets, it is important to understand the possible effects space flight can have on our brains and bodies.

Another major problem associated with humans in space flight is radiation poisoning [5]. Astronauts will be exposed to extremely high levels of ionizing radiation (radiation consisting of particles, x-rays, or gamma rays with sufficient energy to cause ionization—acquires a negative or positive charge) from cosmic rays and solar flares. Astronauts will “see” flashes of light while their eyes are closed, these are actually cosmic rays slashes through their brains [5]. This form of radiation can damage human cells, potentially leading to a diminished immune system and a higher risk of cataracts, cancer, heart disease, damage to the central nervous system

Another thing we need to consider is the complication of the physical part of our bodies. Being in a completely different environment with a change in gravity and external forces can have detrimental effects on the human body. Supposedly, one of the first physical effects astronauts experience in space travel is bone and muscle deterioration. And I can tell you, it’s one hell of a change. Only a month in, and I can already feel and see the difference in my body. Because the lack of gravity in my surroundings decreases load bearing exercise, (the complete opposite of what our bodies are normally used to), bones and muscles weaken, leading to my muscle atrophy. Similarly, just like our muscles, our bones are progressively weakening, comparable to osteoporosis. Cruz needs to be most careful out of all of us for this matter, since women in general have weaker bones than men. Not only that, but women are more susceptible to osteoporosis, so she has to take extra precaution. Overall, Lenny, Cruz and I are becoming more aware of the effects space travel has on our bodies. We can see how our arms, and legs are getting skinnier as time goes by. But going into this mission, we came prepared. We’ve determined we need to take extra supplements and vitamins to try and maintain our bodies composure, replenish our lack of nutrients, and ensure healthy body function. In addition to that, we’ve also been doing small exercises to train and stimulate our muscles to help regain muscle

A problematic issue is the matter of body mass or more specifically the bone density in space. Of course, space is bound to bring changes to the body and