A manned mission to Mars is an extremely dangerous excursion. Crewmembers can expect a six-month flight to the planet, one year of occupation, and a six-month travel back. During this period, numerous human factors challenges can complicate, and even ruin the entire mission. This paper will identify human factors challenges the crew will face, describe why they are so dangerous, and finally, identify ways to mitigate these challenges.
The first challenge in a long-duration spaceflight is almost immediately apparent after lift-off, leaving the gravitational pull of Earth, and entering a micro gravity environment. Weightlessness can have several different impacts on the human body. Astronauts who orbit the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) already experience these effects, and those missions are not nearly as long in duration. First, the micro gravity environment causes osteoporosis to set in. Osteoporosis is the loss and weakening of the bone structure. In fact, every month of spaceflight equates to about 2% loss in bone structure ("Space Odyssey," n.d.). At a bone loss rate of 2% per month of flight, a Mars mission crewmember could lose almost 25% of their bone mass just going to and coming from Mars. Another risk of micro gravity is muscle loss. Muscles experience no resistance in micro gravity, so they begin to waste away. A strong, physically fit astronaut could have the body of and old man by the time the mission on Mars began. This would make performing any duty outside of just being able to walk around an extreme challenge (Wall, 2010). The symptoms of weightlessness do not disappear once the crew begins its mission on Mars. The gravity on Mars is much less than it is on Earth. For example, ...
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Plastic May Shield Astronauts from Dangerous Cosmic Radiation. (2012). Retrieved from http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-06-12/news/39925701_1_nathan-schwadron-crater-cosmic-rays
Space Odyssey: Journey to the Planets. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/spaceodyssey/healtheffects.shtml
Wall, M. (2010). Trips to Mars Would Turn Astronauts into Weaklings. Retrieved from http://www.space.com/8978-trip-mars-turn-astronauts-weaklings.html
Walles, H. (2013). How Can We Get to Mars and Back Again? Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/9115773/How-can-we-get-to-Mars-and-back-again
Your Body in Space:Use It or Lose It. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Your_Body_in_Space.html
Galeon, D. (2017, October 2). Is Elon Musk’s Fast Earth Travel via Rocket Possible? Retrieved from Futurism Web site: https://futurism.com/is-elon-musks-fast-earth-travel-via-rocket-possible/
When asked who was the first man to walk on the Moon most will not have a problem replying “Neil Armstrong.” He has become a household name not only in our Nation but across our entire planet. Many people are familiar with Armstrong’s accomplishments however most are unaware of the efforts invested into these missions by people here on the ground. This paper will focus on ground Flight Control Rooms (FCRs, pronounced "fickers") that contained the talented people who helped usher some of the most important spaceflight events in our current history. First, there will be a brief overview of the Missions Control Center (MCC) history. Next, a section will cover the description of each of the Flight Control Rooms (FCRs). Lastly a thorough assessment of each of the FCRs will explain how each room was and is used as well as for what purpose. This paper will serve as a testament of the history and achievement which had and is continuing to take place during each human spaceflight.
Most of the Aviation accidents have been greatly attributed to “Pilot Fatigue” (Mohler, 1998). This is because a pilot’s input into the aircraft is majorly dependent on his consciousness on the job, therefore incase he or she may be fatigued then this provides room for error in his inputs (Smith, 2008). Even though the technological advancements in avionics the flight systems of the current aircrafts have preventive mechanisms put in place that makes sure that the pilots are always alert, without sleep and freshened, small effects of fatigue can greatly jeopardize flight safety (Mohler, 1998). This is so because the duties performed by the pilot in the cockpit require a lot of vigilance, care as well as both mental and physical well being and alertness. Having considered this it is very hard to eliminate the cockpit noise, aircraft vibration, the long flights; little sleep as well as irregular work schedules which are the major contributors to pilot fatigue and which can have great influence on his or her performance. This paper dissects the major factors that cause pilot fatigue; the impact of pilot fatigue as well as the damages associated with the same and concludes with ways of managing the same.
Alcohol is something that has been part of human nature for thousands of years. It has been used by means of medical, social, religious, and cultural settings (Information about Alcohol, n.d.). Alcohol is going to be a product that will be a part of our lives for many years to come, definitely past our lifetime. A problem that we see today is the use of drinking and driving. This is one of life’s more dangerous and stupid activities, but people still decide to do it. People like to push their abilities to the edge, which could end up causing death to themselves and others. When we watch the news, there always seems to be at least one crash that involved a drunk driver. You have to remember that one incident happened in our city, but it’s actually happening in almost every city in the United States and the world. If it happens this often in a car, alcohol is bound to creep itself into other dangerous scenarios. Aviation is an extremely dangerous as it is, but when alcohol is thrown into the mix, flying becomes nearly impossible. Throughout this paper, I will be describing what alcohol is actually doing to your body, along with the effects it has on a pilot while they are flying.
Fatigue is a growing concern and issue in the aviation industry. Although it has been for some time, recently mounting workloads and stress have factored into creating an escalating problem with real casualties and repercussions. “Pilot fatigue, heavy workloads… may have contributed to an air ambulance crashing into the sea at night during a medical mission…” (Crash Blamed 2006 p.31). Fatigue is an “insidious” condition that affects a pilot in a way that might make him feel justified in his decisions. (Wald 2008 C3). Without realizing the effects of sleepiness and stress, pilots often times make the wrong decision, believing it to be the right one, and suffering severe consequences, such as: passenger injures, crew injuries or even death, which occurs more often than not.
Support A: SECOND POINT: Astronaut’s health are the first priority before travelling to space however, it is proven that space exploration or staying in the space can actually affect a person’s health. Support A: According to a study done by NASA, astronauts that stays in space for six months or even longer are found to have some changes in their eyes and their vision.
While just traveling to Mars is a difficult task, landing on the planet has proved to be next to impossible, with only a small fraction of the attempted landings ending in success. Over the years there have been several different designs of Martian landers that have attempted to slip past the proverbial “galactic ghoul” protecting the planet Mars. However, few of these designs have fared successful at landing smoothly. These technologies have ranged from the original Viking using aero braking and rocket power, to the Mars Pathfinder mission’s novel air bag solution. In order to gain insight into the surface of the red planet, landing is a must. Thus, the potential solutions and their benefits and drawbacks must be examined.
Andrews, Bill. “50 years of Americans in space.” Astronomy. 01 Feb. 2012: 20. eLibrary. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
The recent events regarding the NASA Mars probes have renewed the debate of reinstalling manned space missions with the objectives of exploring and landing on foreign worlds such as the moon and the red planet Mars, rather than the use of solely robotic craft and machines. It is my belief that we should return to the days of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, those of manned lunar landings and manned space exploration. Robots simply cannot and should not be allowed to be the sole means of visiting these worlds, nor should humans only be able to witness new findings second hand through the use of computers and machines. It is human nature to be normally curious of one’s surroundings, and it is important that we send one of our own to new worlds. The effects that past missions have had on the world’s people, as well as our political and cultural climates are another valid reason for flesh instead of metal to lay claim to space. Also, the limitless applications and new education that manned flights can bring to us from on site human interactions could lead to another technological and industrial revolution like the original lunar programs had done for us during the Gemini and Apollo programs.
Space is unimaginably vast, and the problems keeping humans from mastering the exploration of and colonization of space is equally daunting. Impressive advances have been made within the past century, and dedicated efforts to make equally impressive strides in the next hundred years are in place. Space research will not yield resutls overnight, but the information obtained along the way will have a positive impact throughout the scientific community and the world's population in turn. With a goal of extraplanetary habitation, humans can prepare protective measures for neutralizing danger and managing resources underwater, in space, and on land, domestic and alien. The scientific and cultural unity required to reach this goal has the potential to propel mankind as a species and farther through the stars than ever imagined.
Prior to 1959, faulty equipment was the probable cause for many airplane accidents, but with the advent of jet engines, faulty equipment became less of a threat, while human factors gained prominence in accident investigations (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca, 2010). From 1959 to 1989, pilot error was the cause of 70% of accident resulting in the loss of hull worldwide (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca, 2010). Due to these alarming statistics, in 1979 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) implemented a workshop called “Resource Management on the Flightdeck” that led to what is now known as Crew Resource Management (CRM) or also known as Cockpit Resource Management (Rodrigues & Cusick, 2012). CRM is a concept that has been attributed to reducing human factors as a probable cause in aviation accidents. The concepts of CRM weren’t widely accepted by the aviation industry, but through its history, concepts, and eventual implementation, Crew Resource Management has become an invaluable resource for pilots as well as other unrelated industries around the world.
In America, space travel is a controversial issue that many discuss. Although exciting, some people find it unnecessary and a waste of money. There are also many risks associated with space travel and many issues are more important than space travel that should be focused on. There are ethical, diplomatic, and economic issues that need to be considered before making decisions about space exploration.
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.
The intent of this research is to provide the reader with insight on how Crew Resource Management (CRM) improves safety in aviation organizations. This research will also present how CRM establishes a set of guidelines, behavioral norms, and standard operational practices that enables an organization to utilize all resources available to conduct safe and efficient flight operations. CRM encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills and attitudes including communications, situational awareness, problem solving, aeronautical decision-making, information management, and teamwork (Royal Aeronautical Society, 1999). CRM is also a synergistic approach to managing flight operations, and allows crews to dynamically multi-task and prioritize work efforts in order to conduct their operations more efficiently and safely. Over the last three decades, the NTSB, NASA, the FAA, ICAO, the military, and the airline industry have created CRM programs, and extensively researched and tested new and innovative ways to incorporate CRM with cockpit automation.