1. COSTS AND HAZARDS OF SPACE EXPLORATION

2. COSTS AND HAZARDS  Hazards of travelling to and from space  Exposure to damage from intense solar radiation  Collision with a comet, asteroid, or other space debris  Loss of human life  Economic loss  Loss of years of work  Earth’s atmosphere...burning up  Equipment is expensive Mars probes lost

3. COSTS AND HAZARDS  Living in Space  No air or water  Cosmic rays and solar radiation  Risk of being hit by space debris  No atmosphere Wide range of temperatures No life-providing gases (oxygen) No pressure (which keeps our bodily fluids from boiling at room temp  Long trips in confined living space Psychological problems

4. COSTS AND HAZARDS  Microgravity  Must physically adapt to environment with little to no gravity  Health problems Heart doesn’t have to pump as hard  weakens Muscles not used as much  weaken (up to 40% muscle mass) Bones have less pressure on them  lose minerals and weaken Can lose bone mass at 2%/month in microgravity RBC (red blood cell) production declines Immunity system weakens Increase in risk of infection, decrease ability to fight infection

5. REDUCING EFFECTS OF MICROGRAVITY  Exercise in space to keep fit  Cardiovascular training (heart and circulatory system)  Resistance training (weightlifting)  Astronauts could not stand up for a few days after returning to Earth the first few times  Studies of negative health effects related to microgravity may lead to new treatments for the care of the elderly  Same as those that happen when humans age  Treatments for osteoporosis

6. COSTS AND HAZARDS  Living on the Moon  Must use materials found locally Lunar soil (metals, materials to make concrete, glass, ceramics) Water’s too heavy to launch in quantity from Earth We don’t know if there’s water on the moon Maybe it’s in the craters in shadow in the moon Hydrogen and oxygen are in lunar rock, maybe we can make water!?  Getting around on the moon “Moon buggy” New spacesuit So astronauts can spend more time outside the “base”

7. COSTS AND HAZARDS  Visiting Mars  Lack of shield from solar radiation  No shielding  greatly increased risk of cancer  No oxygen on Mars  Pressure is at 1/100 th of that of Earth  Many sandstorms  Atmosphere will not support life  Newer and improved space suits are necessary  Much material will have to be sent ahead of astronauts Pre-made facility to live in Air, heating, cooling, etc installed  RETURN TRIP!?

8. VOCABULARY  Microgravity: the condition in which the gravitational forces that act on a mass are greatly reduced