Spaceflight – No Calling 911 In an Emergency
20 Aug 2009
Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Walking in space and looking back at our small planet must be one of life’s greatest experiences. But whether you’re a star hockey player, mountain climber or astronaut, a healthy price must be paid for the experience.
Dr. Robert Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut, reports in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the health hazards and other dangers that lurk in the harsh environment of space.
We all complain about jet lag after a flight to Europe. But astronauts orbit the earth once every 90 minutes. This means in 24 hours they see 16 sunsets and sunrises. This is big-time jet lag and it can have a major effect on their sleep pattern, increasing fatigue.
Decompression sickness can be a lethal hazard of deep sea diving. It’s also a major risk of space walking as well as inside the spacecraft. In 1997, the Spektr module of the Mir space station sustained rapid decompression after it collided with the supply vehicle. The hatch was quickly closed to prevent a catastrophe.
Astronauts face this similar hazard once they step out into space if their spacesuit is accidentally punctured. To decrease this risk a spacewalk suit requires 14 layers along with a layer of Kevlar. In spite of these precautions the outer layer of a glove was torn in 2007 quickly ending the spacewalk. So there will never be leisurely carefree strolls in space. And unlike being on earth, if tragedy strikes in the vacuum of space, there’s not the option of calling 911.
Here on earth your car can suddenly strike a deer with sometimes lethal results. In space over 12,000 objects larger than a softball are being tracked. There are also hundreds of thousands of smaller objects. A collision of the spacecraft with space debris or a micrometeoroid would be catastrophic.
There’s also the risk of thermal injury. On the sun-lit side of the earth the temperature can reach 100 degrees C and then drop to -100 degrees C on the dark side. And during a spacewalk when there’s a lengthy task to accomplish it’s easy to forget the sudden change in temperature that will take place.
Fortunately earthlings can always find a way to escape noise. But a spacecraft is loaded with motors, fans, pumps and they all create noise. The acoustic level in most areas is the same as normal conversation. Other sections of the spacecraft are much noisier and there’s a fear that hearing loss could occur along with disrupting sleep and decreasing efficiency should an emergency occur.
Inside the capsule there’s also no way of escaping from the constant hazard of solar cosmic radiation and the physiological effects of a microgravity environment. Researchers believe that astronauts who fly missions in low orbit around the earth will not be exposed to significant amounts of radiation.
But what will be the effects of longer missions? There’s the concern that, on three year trips to Mars, ionizing radiation may kill cells, injure genetic tissue and result in cancer. During these extended voyages there’s an added risk of encountering at least one solar flare and more radiation.
Floating around in the spacecraft looks like fun. But this weightless atmosphere places zero stress on the skeleton. Bones need more than calcium and vitamin D. So without gravitational force it’s the perfect setup for osteoporosis. Future astronauts on long flights may develop fragile bones that could snap like a dry twig.
To prevent this problem, the Juvent 1000 DMT (dynamic motion therapy) Platform, used in space flight gives astronaut bones an interesting workout. DMT transmits high-frequency, low intensity, mechanical forces from the astronaut’s feet up through the skeleton. These gentle, rapid, accelerations put tiny stresses on bones decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. Research shows it can increase bone density one to two percent a year.
Unlike drug therapy no side effects have been reported using this device. Unfortunately, the company manufacturing Juvent 1000 DMT has gone out of business but another company will supply this platform in about six months time. If this interests you send an e-mail gifford-jones @hotmail.com. I’ll let you know when it’s available.
Still dreaming of being an astronaut?
