Can Humans Survive Long-term Space Travel...

[rootabaga]

Via Vox comes this longish article about the challenges related to both the knowns and unknowns of living in space. You’ll either find it interesting, pedantic or a cure for insomnia (the article, not space life).

Scientists are grappling with our biggest limitation in spaceflight: our own bodies

 

[Dannydet]

As long as the ship has artificial gravity, humans should be able to live a natural lifespan.
Without it, who knows...

 

[Hadron]

Radiation shielding is needed as well - and is difficult since ships need to minimise mass.

 

[Unforgiven]

As long as the ship has artificial gravity, humans should be able to live a natural lifespan.
Without it, who knows...

I went to a conference where Jerry Linenger spoke. He was on Mir for I think 6 months and he said in lost something like 30% of his bone mass. There were a lot of really interesting things, like he couldn't hold a cup of water when he first landed, he was afraid to hold his son.

 

[Dannydet]

Correct. Jerry Linenger is a friend of a friend of mine btw... Nice guy.
He told us long term effects of weightlessness would be drastic and he's living proof of it.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Couldn't the ship spin or is that b*ll*hit?
How big a ship are we talking. I didnt read the article yet.

 

[Hadron]

Rotation can create a pseudo-gravity effect, but you really want a large radius and slow rotation for best effect - small radius and rapid rotation will result in steep "gravity" gradients and severe Coriolis effects, which will be very uncomfortable.

If you had a magic drive that could accelerate the ship at a constant 1g then there would be no issue. But right now "magic" is the correct word for that.

 

[Unforgiven]

If you had a magic drive that could accelerate the ship at a constant 1g then there would be no issue. But right now "magic" is the correct word for that.

Sooo, I'm no scientist of physicist like you, but I can do the logic thing. Wouldn't 1G constant acceleration require that you accelerate at 1G until the midpoint of the trip at which point you would need to decelerate at 1G in order to come to a complete stop at the destination. I suppose the other option would be a deceleration greater than 1G, but how much and for how long could the body take.

 

[bcrichster]

Rotation can create a pseudo-gravity effect, but you really want a large radius and slow rotation for best effect - small radius and rapid rotation will result in steep "gravity" gradients and severe Coriolis effects, which will be very uncomfortable.

If you had a magic drive that could accelerate the ship at a constant 1g then there would be no issue. But right now "magic" is the correct word for that.

Magic = Technology we don't yet understand..

 

[Hadron]

Sooo, I'm no scientist of physicist like you, but I can do the logic thing. Wouldn't 1G constant acceleration require that you accelerate at 1G until the midpoint of the trip at which point you would need to decelerate at 1G in order to come to a complete stop at the destination. I suppose the other option would be a deceleration greater than 1G, but how much and for how long could the body take.

Exactly right

 

[Unforgiven]

Exactly right

The second half of your galactic flight sponsored by Lionel Richie.

 

[dan330]

Correct. Jerry Linenger is a friend of a friend of mine btw... Nice guy.
He told us long term effects of weightlessness would be drastic and he's living proof of it.

did he ever 100% recover from the affects of living in space for extended time?

recover the bone mass?
muscle mass?

or is he still... diminished from the experience?

 

[Dannydet]

He's back to being 100% health wise, bone mass is back to where it should be, muscles are back to normal, the recovery time took about a full year for being weightless for 6 months....
But he was really scared when he came back to earth.

 

[dan330]

that is very interesting....

i wonder.. if 10 yrs.. in 1/2 G .. travel to another solar system.. (with the magic rocket)
would cause unrecoverable health situation?

 

[Hadron]

0.5g is something we don't have much data on, and of course nobody has done much more than 2 years in microgravity (though I guess we will have data on whether effects level off by then). I think it's safe to assume that the reduced pull would have some effect, but wouldn't want to speculate beyond that.

Anyone planning on living on Mars would find out though, since the gravitational force on the surface of Mars is about 38% of the Earth norm.

 

[joe71]

Okay I haven't the article yet, but if we are talking long term deep space travel like Star Trek, it's never going to happen, never ever, ever period. There is one simple reason for this. Superior advance space faring races have visited us and realize that humans are blood thirsty bunch of savages and need to be contained. The split second we travel beyond Mars, this Lazer beam will come out no where destroy the ship and that will end our space travel. We can barely take care of Earth.

 

[dan330]

Okay I haven't the article yet, but if we are talking long term deep space travel like Star Trek, it's never going to happen, never ever, ever period. There is one simple reason for this. Superior advance space faring races have visited us and realize that humans are blood thirsty bunch of savages and need to be contained. The split second we travel beyond Mars, this Lazer beam will come out no where destroy the ship and that will end our space travel. We can barely take care of Earth.

LOL

 

[dan330]

Living on Mars..

i guess for long term ... over 5 yrs living on Mars.
MY GUESS.... that would be a one way trip.
the body would not be able to recover.

if born on Mars... i dont think that person can survive on earth.

 

[Unforgiven]

if born on Mars... i dont think that person can survive on earth.

You know, that may be the gravity answer. Never returning to Earth (or a gravity greater than what your body adjusts to).