Space exploration began when the Soviets launched Sputnik I on October 4th, 1957(A brief). Since then, space exploration has dramatically changed; the technology used today is far more advanced. However one thing that hasn't happened is the colonization of another planet. To colonize a planet terraforming to some extent has to be done. According to Dictionary.com, terraforming is defined as the alteration of the environment in order to make it capable for terrestrial life forms. Space exploration activist are interested to find ways to colonize Mars believing it will lead to major scientific breakthroughs. However from another perspective, the cost of space exploration since 1958 is over $900 billion (Wallace).The main argument against working …show more content…
The New York Times author points out that the trip just to Mars can range from an eight to nine month trip which can become tedious in a small, compact spacecraft (Regis). If astronauts managed to endure the tight living spaces, they would still suffer from consequent health issues. Living in close proximity to one another can create tensions between the voyagers, distracting them from the mission at hand. Not to mention, on the spacecraft voyagers will have to face constant noises and vibrations from the spacecraft as they try to sleep (Regis). This will cause more issues between the voyagers and not allow them to work at their peak level. Some of the few health issues Regis’s article mentions are bone mass loss, muscle loss, susceptibility to cavities and vascular systems that would function at impaired levels (Regis). The journey itself would put such a hinderance on the voyagers that the mission of colonizing Mars can become extremely difficult or even impossible. The fact that the astronauts must be at peak physical condition in order to survive the harsh environment of Mars may be a deal-breaker as the long trip would certainly take a toll on the health of the individual, perhaps too physically or mentally weak to survive their mission. In order to produce what is needed to live an astronaut would have to synthesize oxygen in “a lab or factory,” which would likely require an unimpaired mental state to do properly. The same principle can be attributed to the production of water by the astronauts (Regis). These processes also add to the potential required energy and cost of undertaking such a mission. Overall considering the factors that astronauts would have to face on the journey to Mars alone, there is a high chance of failure when it comes to the mission of colonizing Mars. In
Space travel is both fascinating and terrifying. The mystery of outer space captivates nearly all children and many adults. Neil Armstrong’s first words from the moon are iconic and will forever be engrained in the history of mankind. With the end of the Space Shuttle program many people have wondered if America’s space travels are coming to a close. Is space travel going to become a thing of the past? Kim Stanley Robison believes that the future of space travel, specifically an interplanetary mission to Mars, is not only fascinating, but necessary. In his short essay, “Why We Should Go to Mars”, Mr. Robinson starts with acknowledging that reasons for a mission to Mars “range from good to bad to terrible” (Robinson). He defines the range of common arguments which he believes are outlandish and seems to be wholly against the idea. His tone quickly changes as he presents what, in his opinion, are not only good but the best reasons as to why a Mars mission is not only a good idea, but a needed one.
The idea of space exploration and/or colonizing in outer space is fascinating to many people. In fact, it has intrigued societies for decades. The book, “The Martian” by Andy Weir, is a fictional story that presents the possibility of manned space exploration to Mars. Although, no country has sent a manned spacecraft to Mars, Weir does an excellent job making this task seem like a reality. He seemed to portray space travel accurately. The story presents problems, mathematical, scientific, and sociological, in such a way that draws the reader into the dilemmas of the characters without the reader doubting the accuracy or probability of the situation (Weir 18-20). The manner in which the author does this indicates that he either has a scientific
As a country we need to start investing more money and research into space technology. Programs currently exist for this effort, but the potential for research and progress is limited by a lack of funding; compared to other government funded programs, aerospace funding is pitiful. Continued research in space technology is a necessary step in our growth and development not just as a country but also as entire human race. If we are to achieve this goal, it is necessary to increase funding for space research and technology and consider the possibility of colonizing outer space. If we limit our existence to the planet Earth, and continue to drain the resources on this planet, we will destroy the only home we have.
Challenge on health, such as radiation, lack of gravity can impact humans in space. One big problem that haunts a manned space travel to Mars is radiation. High energy particulars are consistently scattering into space from the Sun and other high energy bodies, these particulars can cause harm to humans in space, especially the longer the flight is. Unlike the Earth, which has a magnetosphere to protect us from harmful radiation, a spacecraft would not have a large rotating metal core to create a similar field. Instead, other forms of shielding is required.
A manned mission to mars is too dangerous. First, it's cold. For instance, the average temperature is -61 degrees Fahrenheit. Since, it’s too cold it’s dangerous. Second, earth’s gravity harms the human body. For example, bones and muscles get weaker and the body produces less blood. Since, your bones and muscles get weaker and the body produces less blood this shows you that a manned mission to mars it too dangerous. Third, traveling is dangerous. For instance, traveling in a spaceship because minimeterorites can kill you. Since, minimeterorites can kill you this tells you that it's way too dangerous. In conclusion, a manned
Having sent the first man to the moon, the country enjoys great pride and improved the nation’s heritage. The Apollo missions that followed ascertained that the country was indeed a leader in space exploration in the quest to understand extraterrestrial life forms. With this milestone, the next step in space exploration would be to send manned flights to other planets. This culminated in the exploration of Mars to investigate the possibility of existence in the planet. Though the explorations are still ongoing, many of the pundits opposed to continued funding of NASA claim that the explorations are a waste of money, which would otherwise be channeled to other ‘more important sectors.’ This has sparked a debate on the importance of NASA’s mandate and elicited mixed feelings from proponents and
The Apollo 11 mission captivated the country and won the attention of the world. The successful mission provided many answers but also raised a myriad of new questions that humans had never before thought of. The triumph of achievement and intellect left the new consequences unnoticed, however it is important to discuss the ramifications of space exploration from all angles before deciding on a course of action. While curiosity and the expansion of scientific knowledge are significant factors, the ecological impacts and financial implications of space exploration are the most important factors to be considered when taking up space exploration, as they will have the largest effect on our future.
Health issues related to circulation of the blood would also be reduced. Because the human body evolved to function in Earth’s gravity, our circulatory systems expect our blood pressure to be slightly different at various points in the body (Hollingham, 2014). In microgravity, this is not the
the success rate of a colonization mission in the future. It would be very difficult for
Starting with Mars being too dangerous. Colonists could be exposed to radiation which can result in cancer, brain damage, tumors, sickness, or death. Secondly, Mars has a lower gravity than Earth which means over time colonists would lose bone mass, have a weaker immune system, and have a weaker heart and body. Lastly, colonists would be in a closed environment for a long periods of time which could lead to mental problems according to NASA and Mars One.
NASA’s research and innovation looked promising, but it came at a cost. Money, resources, and spacecraft accidents, most famously Apollo 13 all hindered NASA’s research. In the 21st century, the debate over funding for NASA is at its peak since the birth of the organization in 1958, especially when there are numerous problems throughout the world. Is the money spent on space exploration worth the advantages and advances it contributes to society? When considering this topic, one might ask themselves, why explore space?
Also, people need food to survive which means it would be required to have a certain amount of food for the duration and thus increase the weight of the space craft. That just defeats the purpose of increasing the duration of the journey to save fuel. Another factor is the question of why the duration is so long. “When you consider the fact that Mars is only 55 million km away, and the spacecraft are travelling in excess of 20,000 km/hour, you would expect the spacecraft to make the journey in about 115 days” (Cain 1). The thing to take into consideration when creating the flight plan is that Mars will always be moving and if the plan was to just go towards Mars in a straight line, our target would not be there anymore (Cain 1).
Humans can expect to face some major challenges on an expedition to Mars. It has been proven that humanity can travel in space for over two years. Cumulatively, Sergei Constantinovich Krikalev, a Russian cosmonaut, has spent over eight-hundred and three days in Earth orbit (Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2005). The expedition to Mars would require the crew to endure a six month journey to the planet, a year of living on the planet, and a six months journey back to Earth. Russian cosmonaut, Valery V. Polyakoz, clocking in at four-hundred and thirty-eight days for just one stay in Earth orbit, shows humanity is capable of a twelve month round trip to Mars (Schwirtz, 2009). Earth's orbit has provided some benefits to space exploration, like the magnetic field from cosmic radiation, and the proximity to Earth if an emergency were to arise (Jones, 2009). The further humans travel away from Earth the greater the risks become. The major risks to human health on a flight to Mars, living on Mars, and returning to Earth are: radiation exposure, biological problems induced by weightlessness, spacecraft malfunctions, and psychological problems brought on by isolation.
As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity of our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed. To begin with, space research has helped bring several developments to modern science, affecting the quality of our everyday lives. With issues like climate change, and population overgrowth, our species faces the risks of major extinction (4). Climate change has been a man-made problem in recent years that threatens our planet. It will take huge mitigations from current and future societies to even come close to reversing climate change.
Most people think that the costly downside to funding space exploration is a reason to avoid spending money on sciences and instead spend it on problems here on earth, but such funding for space exploration actually promotes economical as well as scientific benefits. Space exploration is an important expenditure for the high cost because of the potential for numerous benefits such as the possibility to find useful resources to cultivate, space exploration and satellites produce many thousands of jobs in our economy, and it creates and discovers newer and better technologies through research and development.