Sustainable Living Aboard Spacecraft
Modern spacecraft utilize complex recycling systems to maintain proper levels of atmospheric gases inside astronaut living spaces. Since we cannot reuse 100% of our waste, this is not a completely sustainable process. Longer expeditions would require bringing containers of oxygen or similar life support systems to ensure that the recycling process could go on as […]
Terraforming Celestial Bodies For Human Life: Mars Case Study
Manned galactic space travel, coupled with a population likely too large for the Earth, will inadvertently lead to human colonization of different planets and moons. The construction of safe indoor and outdoor living spaces on other planets requires changing the ecology and atmosphere of the planet to be friendly towards the species of Earth. It […]
Suspended Animation – Inducing Hibernation in Humans to Aid Space Travel
As previously detailed here, lengthy space expeditions have an overwhelmingly negative effect on the physiological and social well-being of a human. Conscious astronauts need entertainment, human interaction, and nourishment. If we were somehow able to slow down the human metabolism and induce them into some sort of hibernation, both expedition costs and psychological stressors would […]
Faster than Light Travel Part 2: Traversable Wormholes
Warp drives, as previously discussed here, are not the only candidates for future faster than light travel. Another common topic in both modern science and science fiction is the wormhole, which creates a throat (i.e. tunnel) of spacetime to connect two points in spacetime. A wormhole connecting two distant locations would allow near-instant travel between […]
Faster than Light Travel Part 1: The Mathematical Existence and Potential Application of Warp Drives
Faster than light travel is one of the most ambitious dreams embodied in modern science fiction literature. Our current line of technological development cannot hope to travel to other star systems for at least several generations. Assuming a universal limit of the speed of light, it would take at least 4.37 years for an astronaut […]
The Intense and Untested Social Stress of Outer Space Missions
One of the most important aspects of a human’s well-being is their mental health. Our mind is molded and maintained by our interactions with others and our environment. New experiences keep our mind sharp for everyday tasks. As an astronaut, however, there is not much along the lines of new experiences. Severing the connection between […]
The Outdated Laws of Outer Space
Outer space is abound with a virtually infinite supply of materials that could redefine life on Earth. As noted by Reynolds, “The smallest known near-Earth metal asteroid contains more metal than has been mined by humanity since the beginning of time” (Reinstein 1999). One of the most valuable resources in our solar neighborhood is Helium-3 […]
The Dangers of Cosmic Radiation and Possible Future Solutions
As space technology becomes more advanced and flights manned flights become longer, the perils of outer space will only become more dangerous for astronauts. As we have not yet started traveling far enough to require new fuel sources or relativistic speeds, the most prevalent health issue related to contemporary space travel is cosmic radiation. Cosmic […]
