Science Fiction Paper Synopsis In a fictitious manned Apollo lunar orbit mission preceding Apollo 7, three astronauts are sent off course due to a miscalculation. The story follows their psychological dissent as they travel further and further from Earth, gradually draining their resources and losing communication with Earth. Given the primary focus of the story, this research paper will focus on the psychological stressors of space travel. The Psychological Stressors of Living in Space It is considered common knowledge that outer space if a hostile environment to humans. When asked about various hazards associated with space travel, most people would be quick to mention the effects of solar radiation in the absence of Earth’s atmosphere, …show more content…
It may seem odd to consider any aspect of space exploration boring. But after awhile, the initial excitement of being space subsides as astronauts adapt to their new living conditions (Kanas & Manzey). During long-duration space travel, crewmembers will encounter periods where their workloads are relatively low, leading to boredom (Kanas & Manzey, 2008; Stuster, 1996). Even during short-duration missions, astronauts perpetually exhibit boredom mid-mission. Research into polar exploration—which is often considered an analogue to space exploration—has led some to argue that in spite of the natural hostilities of the environment, boredom is the biggest hurdle explorers face (Stuster, …show more content…
Workload simply refers to the amount of work given to an astronaut. Given the amount of training required to become an astronaut, one would expect (correctly) that a lot is expected of them while on a mission. Furthermore, the time constraints on missions and the limited capacity to collect data and conduct research in space compared to on Earth incentivises management to get as much out of an astronaut’s time in space as possible. But overestimating the workload a crewmember can handle quickly leads to fatigue (Stranks, 2007). This was one of the primary factors that led to the Skylab mutiny, in which the crew of Skylab 4 turned off all radio communications with ground control for a day, feeling they needed a day to relax due to chronic stress from being overworked. Yet as stated in the previous paragraph, a low workload results in boredom. Ironically, this gives rise to symptoms associated with overwork (Kanas & Manzey, 2008; Stuster, 1996). Hence, it is important to properly assess the workload an astronaut is capable of
Apollo 13 was a mission that some may grow to learn was a failure; It was in fact the complete opposite. Space entry was improved immensely, with the efforts and struggles gained from previous missions. In addition, one of the victims of this mission, Jim Lovell, “believed it was a success. Everyone was tested on their ability to work together and that is how Apollo 13 succeeded” (Anastasio 90). Future space entry missions would not have been as successful as they are without previous missions bettering the space program.
The debate about space exploration has been raging on for decades, people on both sides of the issue vehemently arguing their point of view. However despite the possible risk space exploration has the potential to change humanity for the better, and doing so is well worth the risk. This essay will elaborate some of the plethora of ways that space exploration could benefit mankind.
Exactly 75 hours and 50 minutes after blasting off from Earth, the crew of Apollo 11 entered lunar orbit, something only two crews before them had done. Every orbit brought the crew closer to their ultimate destination, the Sea of Tranquility, a flat surface near the Moon’s equator that would be lit by the Sun when the final approach began. On the 13th orbit of the Moon, Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins began their voyage into uncharted territory.
Apollo 13, National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) proclaimed “The Successful Failure”, is one of the administration’s finest hours. I decided to choose this topic because I remembered watching the movie Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks in the seventh grade when we learning about the Milky Way Galaxy. I did not have any background information on Apollo 13 prior to watching the movie and was genuinely curious about the topic. As I researched, I concluded that these events defined one of America’s finest moments even though one of their missions could not land on the moon.
Apollo 13 emphasized the impact the Apollo 13 mission had on the families of the astronauts. Families (wives, children, and parents) were immensely worried about their loved ones being launched into space, but they were also overjoyed with seeing them live their dreams of going to the moon. These emotions intensified as the launch came near and finally when the mission took off. James Lovell’s wife, for example, had nightmares of Lovell getting into an accident and drifting off in space. His mother, on the other hand, believed that he would successfully come back to Earth, when she said, “If they could launch a washing machine into space, my Jimmy can drive it back.” The Cold War, though not a military-based war, was an emotional time for Americans.
This essay uses ethos by describing in very great detail the launch of the rocket the morning of the moon landing. It does a really good job of giving you a visual of what the take-off looked like. This essay uses pathos by describing the feeling that were going through people’s bodies as the rocket was heading into space. This essay does a good job of describing the importance of the Apollo 11 mission by taking us through the take-off and the describing how mankind was able to conquer such a mammoth challenge.
Driscoll, C. (2003). Outer Space for the Benefit of All Humanity . New Jersey: Center for UN Reform Education.
As Carol Burnett once said, “You must learn how to go through falling down in order to walk. It helps know that you can survive it. That’s an education itself.” In the story Apollo 13, a non-fictional story by NASA, a group of astronauts travel to space and get lost. The astronauts got stuck in space after their two main important tanks exploded. They had to overcome the fear of being stuck in space with a limited amount of oxygen. They display courage and determination, by not giving up and successfully returning home. Therefore they tried to survive and make it out alive, the astronauts were driven to pursue, the goal of making it to Earth safely.
Green, Nick. "Apollo 11 Mission - First Humans on the Moon." About.com Space / Astronomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was July 20 1969, the day that reshaped our nation and gave us unparalleled dreams for the future. The impact of the day goes far beyond our pride and nationalism; that day would change space exploration and technology forever. Just like a shooting star, that day would give us a glimpse of hope. A chance to see an event so breathtaking and defying, it would be man’s greatest accomplishment in the 20th century. As millions of people watched from their TV sets, a rush of euphoria came over the nation as Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the surface of the moon. It was the first time in the history of mankind that we would step on the surface of another celestial body. John F. Kennedy dared us to dream, he inspired the nation to reach for the moon, to set ourselves apart from the rest of the world. The Space Race was symbolic of many things. Our future as the technically dominate nation was secured in place; just as secure as Old Glory would be, when she was driven down into the soil of the moon. We not only reached the moon, we conquered it as a nation; united.
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 of recent years that threatens our planet. It will take huge mitigations from current and future societies to even come close to reversing climate change. Not only that, but our population has been growing at an extremely alarming speed. At our current rate, our species may not be able to survive for much longer. This is where space exploration comes in. With the recent discovery of water on mars, and the finding of Kepler-78b, it is possible that mankind can prolong our existence. The possibility of interstellar travel seems to be an option or even a necessity if we wish to continue living. Populating another planet could help solve the population crisis and climate change simultaneously. Though, it seems we are not at that point currently, which is exactly why it is imperative that the government increase funding for space exploration. Now, even if inter-galactic habitation isn’t possible, space research helps us protect ourselves from asteroids and other threats, and could also be used to find other planetary resources. Nonetheless, it seems space research is of utmost significance if we want to continue living as a
Some may think exploring outer space is simply a human’s curiosity. This is true but on the contrary, people explore to learn about things they may have never known and touch on the essence of the creation of the universe. Another reason for exploring this uncharted area is the technological advancements people have made and immense amount of innovation they have achieved in this field (Wood). Lastly, scientists study the other planets just in case one day humans need to relocate after overwhelming damage has been done to Earth. Suffice to say, it is a vital part of today’s day and age to research outer space (Rothery).
An Astronomy topic that has always been intriguing is space travel. The ability to rocket into space, look down on Earth, and “…explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before” (IMDB) is an adventure that people dream of experiencing. On July 20, 1969, an estimated six million people watched Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the Moon (Nixon Library). Presently, people are paying Virgin Galactic $250,000 to reserve a seat on a spaceship that is expected to tour suborbital space in the near future (Virgin Galactic). Although space travel continues to be of interest, there is also some controversy. Controversies include: the allocation of government resources for space exploration, government verses commercial spacecrafts, and the need to colonize other planets for the survival of humanity. The intrigue and the controversy of space travel are the reasons for this Astronomy conversation.
Anderson, E., Piven, J. & Tito, D. (2005), The Space Tourist's Handbook: Where to Go, What