China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Physics, science and technology in the future
Published in Kléber Ghimire, Future Courses of Human Societies, 2018
The foundation for each of these massive ventures is space travel. It can either be a manned mission or an unmanned one. It is nevertheless a risky endeavor where technologically the team or nation should be capable of managing the exploration. Today’s fundamental physics activities and the technology behind space travel are vast and developing rapidly. But, the main obstacle for space exploration is the enormous cost and human risks involved. Manned exploration has serious problems. One is weightlessness, especially for long missions in space. Under the weightlessness condition, the human body undergoes significant changes; degradation occurs in muscles, bones and the cardiovascular system. Russian astronauts who have spent about a year in space are so weak when they come back to Earth that they can barely crawl. A trip to Mars, which might take six months to a year, may drain the strength of astronauts. One solution to this is to spin the spaceship, which creates artificial gravity inside the ship. But this is a very expensive attachment to the space ship. Thus, unmanned and robotic space exploration will be pursued in the near future.
Spatial Orientation
Published in Pamela S. Tsang, Michael A. Vidulich, Principles and Practice of Aviation Psychology, 2002
One of the suggested means of dealing with the debilitating effects of long-duration weightlessness, as might be encountered en route to Mars, is to provide artificial gravity. Whether the rotating device is to be a large torus, a tethered dumbbell, or a small centrifuge, the crew must adapt to the Coriolis forces and gravity gradient. The interior walls will have to be distinctive and unambiguous in order for the crew to avoid SD. Unexpected Coriolis forces will be a constant issue during movement, especially if the spacecraft rotation rate exceeds 6 rpm. A gradual period of adaptation over many days will be advisable both when the spacecraft begins to turn and again when it decelerates (Young, 1999).
Hearing, Proprioception, and the Chemical Senses
Published in Robert W. Proctor, Van Zandt Trisha, Human Factors in Simple and Complex Systems, 2018
Robert W. Proctor, Van Zandt Trisha
One possible solution to the longer-term problems of a zero-gravity environment is to provide artificial gravity by rotating the space vehicle. However, this will also produce unusual vestibular stimulation associated with the rotation. In sum, there are a variety of human factors issues associated with the vestibular reaction to all aspects of the flight sequence.
Simulation of the mechanical behavior of osteons using artificial gravity devices in microgravity
Published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2021
Hao Zhang, Hai-Ying Liu, Chun-Qiu Zhang, Zhen-Zhong Liu, Wei Wang
There is a three-dimensional network throughout osteons that is called the lacunar-canalicular system (LCS). Osteocytes are deeply embedded in the lacunae, on which many synapses pass through the canaliculi to connect with adjacent osteocytes, forming a complex network of osteocytes. Osteocytes regulate bone remodeling by sensing the fluid shear stress (FSS) and other physical information in the LCS caused by external loads, which promotes dynamic regulation of bone mass (Chen and Huo 2017). Although the LCS, the structure of osteocytes and the negative feedback process can prevent unnecessary energy consumption under the reduced load conditions experienced in microgravity, it leads to a large amount of bone loss. During space flight, physical exercise and nutritional supplementation are often used with the aim of reducing bone loss; however, research has found the effect was not significant (Miao et al. 2017). With the increasing distance of human exploration in space, long-term space flight is inevitable. Osteoporosis has become one of the urgent problems in aviation medicine. Artificial gravity (AG) devices aim to simulate Earth-like gravitational acceleration during space flight. As a result, the flow and mechanical properties of the fluid in LCS will return to levels common on the Earth’s surface, thus effectively preventing the loss of bone mass.
Manned space travel: from a race between nations to a race against the environmental stressors beyond earth
Published in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C, 2021
At the altitude at which the ISS circles the Earth, gravity is still about 90% of that experienced on the Earth’s surface. However, because the ISS is essentially in a state of continuous freefall, gravity experience onboard the ISS is minimal and referred to as microgravity. Microgravity will also be experienced by crew members in space crafts that go beyond the gravity pull of the Earth. Although research is performed to build artificial gravity onboard space crafts, this technology is not yet available. Missions to the surface of other space objects will also be associated with different levels of gravity compared to the Earth. Gravity on the lunar surface is only about one sixth that of the Earth, and gravity on the surface of Mars is roughly one third.
Precautions & Possible Therapeutic Approaches of Health Hazards of Astronauts in Microgravity
Published in The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 2021
Nikita Pal, Shambaditya Goswami, Rajveer Singh, Tejpal Yadav, Ravindra Pal Singh
Due to intracranial and intraocular pressure, astronauts have experienced visual impairment during their long-term space journeys. A recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences revealed that artificial gravity can be a good component for long-term space journeys in the future. Ongoing research has found that artificial gravity did not completely prevent the changes to the eye, but did not result in the worst outcomes either (Williams, 2018).