General Space Mission Thread

[Damocles]

I have waited all my life for stuff that they made up in cartoons as a kid like "ion thrusters" become a reality.
Makes me feel like a giddy kid. Now i just want to see transformers land here and beat the shit out of each other.

Unfortunately, and I'm a science rather than engineering geek so NEXT might have solved this, I seem to recall that the big issue with these thrusters are that they start extremely low but build over a long period of time. Great for missions long range missions, not so much for near-Earth travel.

 

[TCIB]

I have waited all my life for stuff that they made up in cartoons as a kid like "ion thrusters" become a reality.
Makes me feel like a giddy kid. Now i just want to see transformers land here and beat the shit out of each other.

Unfortunately, and I'm a science rather than engineering geek so NEXT might have solved this, I seem to recall that the big issue with these thrusters are that they start extremely low but build over a long period of time. Great for missions long range missions, not so much for near-Earth travel.

Yeah that's the one, i saw one of these space docu's on it. The solution was to not send humans but eggs and sperm etc and have some sort of AI raise the first few. I think the show was aimed at when we have to get the fuck off the planet basically if the circumstances arose in a few hundred years.
The issues with sending actual humans seem to problematic and or expensive don't they so it seems logical.

 

[whp.blue]

why all the fuss? This is a bit like camping out in the back garden.

Until they discover a light weight way of shielding the Astronauts from solar radiation all this stuff really counts for very little.
Because they are spending twelve months in Earth's orbit protected by the Earth's magnetic field not much benefit to any supposed flight to Mars etc.

 

[Damocles]

It is more about anatomical effects of long term microgravity

 

[whp.blue]

It is more about anatomical effects of long term microgravity

I understand that but without effective shielding it means nothing, as nobody would survive any length of flight, the radiation would kill them long before the gravity issues take effect.

 

[Damocles]

It is more about anatomical effects of long term microgravity

I understand that but without effective shielding it means nothing, as nobody would survive any length of flight, the radiation would kill them long before the gravity issues take effect.

The radiation isn't bad enough to instantly kill people. The Curiosity measured it on the way to Mars and they found that although it's currently above what NASA want to use as a limit, and it certainly increases the risks of cancers, it's not instant death material and could feasibly be done.

Radiation in space is about 1.8 milliSieverts a day for those interested in radiation and NASAs lifetime limit is 1,000 milliSieverts. With current technology they could get there and back under that limit, if the mission was planned correctly and they used the window where Earth and Mars are closest then you're looking at 260 days travel. Problem is that the crew would have to be totally inexperienced in space which doesn't sound like a good recipe for one of the longest spaceflights ever done.

260 days times 1.8 is 468. The trip back would take longer and they'd probably push over the limit. This assumes current technology and no measures taken.

It's a broad concern but I think that there are astronauts in NASA who would probably risk an extra 5% risk of cancer to be the first human to ever set foot on another planet. Very few opportunities ever come along to be truly immortal alongside names like Jesus Christ, Homer and other names humanity will remember for as long as it exists. Being the first human on another planet would certainly be one of them.

 

[ballbag]

Is this the mission where they've got the twin of one of the astronauts on Earth to use as a yardstick for any changes in mental and physical condition?

 

[Damocles]

Not sure what measurements they are using, but one of the guys does have a twin.

The space forums have been full of Twin Paradox jokes for weeks. They're as funny as they sound.

EDIT: NASA seem to be doing something in that area though it's the first I've heard of it:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/twins-study/

 

[ballbag]

I thought I'd read or heard something. But then the report I'd seen stated that both twins are astronauts that have experienced long haul missions before. I mean its great that someone is willing to go through that 12 months, but if both twins have already been used to space flight and have had their physical and mental attributes changed over the missions they have both been involved with, then would it not be best to use people (ideally twins) who had very little space flight hours logged already? Or are the effects of space flight reversed pretty quickly after getting back to Earth?

 

[Damocles]

I'm not a Doctor but I wouldn't have thought any of the effects of space travel would be long lasting once you're back on Earth.