More problems for humans in space.

Astro Pen

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Fiction just took another step toward staying fiction.
Don't shoot the messenger :(

The real challenge of space travel isn't rocketry, it is the very specific earthliness of our biology.
Anton discusses blood cell and mitochondria damage from being in space.

 
Human beings are incredibly fragile, and space is an incredibly hostile environment. Even if we were able to adapt our bodies to 'known' hazards, there would be many more unknown once we travelled further out.

I do think that we will, within the next 50 years, colonise the Moon. We will also likely have some kind of permanent research settlement on Mars, in much the same way as we have one at the South Pole. But I think that that is as far as the human body - without significant cybernetic enhancements - will ever go.
 
Human beings are incredibly fragile, and space is an incredibly hostile environment. Even if we were able to adapt our bodies to 'known' hazards, there would be many more unknown once we travelled further out.

I do think that we will, within the next 50 years, colonise the Moon. We will also likely have some kind of permanent research settlement on Mars, in much the same way as we have one at the South Pole. But I think that that is as far as the human body - without significant cybernetic enhancements - will ever go.
Whenever I consider the future of mankind, I like to compare with our past.

In this case, we are like the early explorers and wanderers, making their way through and out of Africa to explore the unknown north, and not yet having invented ocean-going ships or navigation (both of which started around 4000bc or so) - when we have new technology that is equivalent to those, we’ll get out there.

But not yet, no.
 
I'm with R. Buckminster Fuller on this one. We are all humans in space riding on the best space ship conceivable, able to protect us and supply us with everything we need. All traveling at 1.3 million miles per hour.

Maybe we should maintain this awesome Space Ship Earth that we already have. Just a thought.
Yeah, which essentially means we either stop having children until the population is down to around two billion, or we all give up the modern western tech-filled lifestyle and go back to manual farming and suchlike. Whichever of those can be done with the fewest rebellious uprisings is the way to go
 
The hazards of space travel have been known for quite some time, however I have no doubt that we'll come up with solutions. With that being said, I doubt we'll (humans) be doing any significant space exploration, even in our own solar system for quite some time. Not to mention, we can do great science for a fraction of the cost via our technological proxies. If you want human space exploration read a Sci-Fi book.
 

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