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We used to think of space as the final frontier, where everything is new and exciting. But the space for us, more like at home on Earth than many could imagine — in good and bad ways.
You can go fishing
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In Earth orbit there are at least half a million fragments of debris, some of which are moving at a speed of 28 000 km/h When the subject is moving so quickly, it can damage space equipment or apparatus, even when the size of a pen cap. More than 17 000 pieces of space debris greater in size coffee Cup and clash with them will have catastrophic consequences for active missions. But collision is not the only danger. Under certain conditions the fuel tanks and partially charged batteries thrown rockets and satellites may explode.
As a result, some space agencies are going fishing with a net, a technology known since 8300 BC. "The main advantage of the network, whether it's a mission e.Deorbit or some other in the future, is that it can capture a wide range of shapes of objects with different speed," explains engineer of the European space Agency Kjetil Warmness.
To prepare for his mission, e.Deorbit in 2021, scientists from the European space Agency flew the plane that simulate short periods of weightlessness, 21 times per day and check your ability to shoot a fishing net to catch a model companion. Lightweight network work better fat. "The good news is that the network did fairly well — so well that they had to cut with a knife before I shoot," says Warmness.
ESA also plans to test other ways to clean up space from trash, including the use of the harpoon, ion beam and a robotic manipulator.
Send a relative to the moon Four million two hundred fifty six thousand five hundred
For a moment a small anecdote. In General, the mother-in-law said son-in-law: "I know Nothing, do what you want, but I want to die on the moon." Son-in-law in shock, they say, the mother is not yet so old, and there are no proposals yet from space agencies. Nowhere to go, went to investigate. Two days later comes to his mother and said, "I know Nothing, do what you want, but your funeral's in two hours."Actually, you can send relatives into space, covering it scientific purposes.
Not so long ago, studying the "twin paradox", NASA sent astronaut Scott Kelly to the International space station for a year while his twin, retired astronaut mark Kelly, remains on Earth. During the year, NASA will compare how the manifest differences in the status of the two twins that can identify specifically differences in the health of people, regardless of genetics that go into space. (The roots of this experiment goes to the twin paradox by albert Einstein, who said that the twin traveling in space, will return to Earth younger than the one who left on the planet; however, MS can not flies so quickly that this effect is manifested fully).
NASA will examine 10 different aspects of the impact of long-term space missions on the human body. For example, space travel may make the immune system of Scott's weaker than the Mark. By entering both men influenza vaccine, NASA scientists want to see how the immune system reacts to the serum. They will also look at the length of the men's telomeres, the repetitive DNA sequences at end of chromosomes. If the telomeres Scott will be shorter, this can mean that the radiation of the cosmos has led to premature aging twins. NASA also will evaluate the changes in vision men, heart activity, sleep and mental activity.
The greatest weakness of this study is that only one pair of twins. All I have found NASA, it will be impossible to check again. To obtain statistically significant conclusions, we need more twins. In addition, the retired astronaut mark Kelly had previously been to space missions, so that his body could reflect the effects of space.
Start the morning with a Cup of espresso
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If you are worried that you will not be able to live in space without a Cup of good coffee in the morning, don't worry. Two Italian companies developed the ISSpresso (we would have called it Xpresso) to overcome the lack of gravity in space. Typically, the coffee maker pours water on the ground coffee, and then squeezes a drop of hot liquid into the Cup. But in space, drops of coffee just float away. Hot coffee can burn just astronauts and equipment on the ISS or on another ship. This is especially dangerous with an espresso, in the cooking of which water is heated to 94 degrees Celsius.
On Earth ISSpresso weighs 20 kg, which should not be a problem in weightlessness. Excess weight is associated with safety and security features, including all steel construction, withstand high pressure. Water is pumped throughout the machine, before draining into a plastic bag. In space have to drink through a straw, but the company assures that the taste of its espresso to be as good as on Earth. The machine can make espresso, black coffee, tea and more.
You upstairs?Forty nine million seven hundred twenty thousand four hundred thirty eight
If you don't like the idea of sending into space on a rocket, NASA, Europe, Russia, Japan and others are working on the space Elevator.
The main obstacle at the moment is the inability to create a cable or tape with a length of 35 to 400 kilometers, which will be strong enough and light enough to withstand its own weight and to lift people along with cargo from Earth into space. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania recently learned how to make ultrathin "diamond nanowires", which sort of have the necessary characteristics.
"One of our goals in the field of nanomaterials is the creation of a heavy-duty, lightweight cables that would make possible the construction of a space Elevator," says Professor John Bading. However, the right size, they still have not yet reached.In the meantime, you can look on the atmosphere with a giant balloon in 2016. In February 2015, the World View has successfully tested the flight of the balloon, attached to a kind of large parachute. He "swam" farther than any before him. "The successful flight, says Taber McCallum of World View, brings us closer to private transport civilians to the limits of the atmosphere and allows us to continue our research program." The flight will cost $ 75,000.
You will have to collect their wasteFifty seven million three hundred ninety two thousand two hundred sixty
Typically, human waste is stored on the spacecraft until it burns together with unnecessary part of a vehicle when re-entering earth's atmosphere. But if the astronauts will remain on the planet or on an asteroid during a long mission, the accumulated waste will weigh quite a lot after returning home. Leave them on the surface of a planet or asteroid is not an option. Obvious problem: requires too much fuel for the return trip, which will have to carry from Earth.
Scientists began to think about how to convert human waste into fuel. If they succeeded, could be solved at one stroke two problems. First, the ship would not have to carry a lot of fuel, leaving the Earth as space junk would provide part of the fuel. Secondly, converting waste into fuel, would not have to bear the additional load of feces on my way home.
NASA appealed to scientists from the University of Florida to solve this problem, when it was planned to construct a station on the moon. Florida scientists have created anaerobic processing of food packaging, human waste and food residues into methane for fuel. This process also destroys any pathogens in the waste products.
Scientists estimate that each crew would produce 290 liters of methane daily. Also annually produced would be carbon dioxide and about 800 litres of non-potable water. But the water can be further decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is essential for life support, carbon dioxide and hydrogen again can be turned into methane and water. In the end, this conversion process into fuel we could use on Earth.
Anywhere without the Internet and social networks
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Even on Earth there are regions where there is no Network access. So it may seem strange ability to access the Internet from space, especially if you are flying to Mars. But this possibility does not exclude anybody.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, recently announced an ambitious project that will change our way of connecting to the Internet. He wants to bring a huge number of satellites on orbit at an altitude of 1200 kilometers above the Earth (instead of 35 000 km, at the altitude they fly now). This will significantly speed up the performance of Internet services that now rely on fiber, since the signal moves at the speed of light, only Bouncing from several satellites to reach the destination. Now the data packets have to go through dozens of data centers to reach you. Hence the unavailability of some services in little populated areas or uninteresting for the operator.
Musk believes that its new satellite system will provide the basis for the withdrawal of the Internet into space, including to Mars. "On Mars will be critical to launch a global network of communications, says Musk. — I think this needs to be done, but do not see anyone who does it."
At the same time you can look at astronaut Chris Hadfield and Samantha Cristoforetti, who constantly use social media while in space. Hadfield is known for his videos on YouTube, and Cristoforetti sends a new picture of the Earth every night from the ISS. Also publishes an interesting video.
To stay in their laneSixty seven million eight hundred thirty one thousand two hundred thirty one
Martin Lo of NASA started to map the interplanetary superhighway in the early 2000s. Virtual map showing roads and tunnels in our Solar system, paving the best routes for spacecraft that will help save fuel. Typically, in the course of the missions are flybys of planets or moons, using their gravity to accelerate and shoot out into space. But the interplanetary superhighway goes even further, using the interaction of gravitational forces of different objects. Not only the gravity of the planets acting on the spacecraft, the Sun attracts the planet, and the planet — the moon. In some places, these forces counteract, or balance each other, creating a path along which the spacecraft can fly with the minimum fuel consumption.
For each planet and moon has five locations, called Lagrange points. Lo spent the corridors between these points to make space travel more efficient. Perhaps one day we will build a platform or permanent outposts along these highways, which will provide for the repair of spacecraft.
When one hug is not enoughSeventy five million three hundred ninety three thousand four hundred twelve
Space makes not only the physical requirements for astronauts — it could be a mental test. We have already talked about potential problems with drinking water, as well as with psychological and physiological problems for astronauts, but imagine that the astronauts would turn off the radio contact with NASA for the whole day? Such a precedent with Skylab 4 took place. But what happens if someone is seriously touched in the mind of space, will attempt to commit suicide or to sew partner?
NASA have written procedures on how to deal with mentally unstable astronauts, including the fact if they will try to destroy the oxygen or of the crew to open the hatch to kill all. NASA instructs crew members: first, wrap ankles and wrists unstable astronaut adhesive tape. Then use the cord to tie him face down. Then use the tranquilizers when you need to reassure him or her. "Speak with the patient, linking it — says the manual. — Explain what you are doing, and that doing it for his own safety".
After that, NASA and the commander of the flight to determine what further action to take, specifically based on the specifics of the case. In the most extreme cases, they can cancel the mission and send a team home. On the space station they would have just sent a troublemaker to the closest flight. NASA does not allow to keep a weapon in space, since the bullet can flash the space station or apparatus, and it will lead to deaths. At the time of writing these instructions on Board and other types of non-lethal weapons, tasers and stun.
Even in space, can be a TV show
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By 2025, the Mars One project plans to send four colonists on Mars before the end of their lives (perhaps because there is no way to bring them home), assuming they don't die during a trip there. In the framework of project financing, the remaining survivors have become the stars of the reality show, broadcasted on Earth. The first group of colonists will join others that will be possible with the new projects.
Invented by Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, Mars One recently announced that the sample of candidates was narrowed to 100 from 200,000 originally filed. In the selection process, Norbert Kraft, Mars One of eaten online interviews with each candidate to assess his or her motivation, team spirit and understanding the risks. First on Mars robots will go to set up residential units.
If the first colonists survive the trip, a study at mit showed that they are likely to die within three months after landing on Mars because they have run out of food, oxygen or spare parts. Some of the necessary technology simply does not yet exist. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recently publicly proposed to ask the candidates in the Martians some serious questions. "How does a space suit on Mars? Show how it cools, how does the pressure? The design of the gloves? None of this has to buy. It does not exist. You can't just go to SpaceMart and buy there things."
Float and other disturbing news. For example, the company who worked on robotic missions, terminated the contract with Mars One. Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) announced that it had concluded an agreement with Mars One for the details and production of the reality show and is no longer involved in the project. The Lansdorp said the process of selection of candidates will be more serious from now on. He has a new production company for a reality show, although no translation it does not. However, Lansdorp is protecting its budget of $ 6 billion and explanation of the investment that will Finance the project. Whatever happens, there will be a lot of drama, even without a real reality show.
Treachery in outer groundFifty eight million nine hundred seventy nine thousand one hundred eight
In 1959, NASA engineers are faced with problems, creating a space capsule that will be quite easy to run. Some thought that the problem can solve women astronauts, because they weigh less than men. During world war II, medical research has also shown that women endure the cold, heat, loneliness, monotony and pain than men. This made William Lovelace II, who conducted tests of the male astronauts for NASA to conduct studies of whether women could be good astronauts.
Jerry Cobb, a skilled pilot, became the first woman invited to participate in the program. Jackie Cochran is also the famous woman pilot, agreed to test another 19 women pilots in the Fund Lovelace, when NASA refused. Cochran wanted to be the first female astronaut but were too old. Despite the fact that he was a champion fighter for women's rights, advocating for it during the Second world war.
In the end, 13 of the 20 women in the "mercury 13" passed the grueling physical test, delivered to NASA for astronaut selection. In many cases they performed better than men. And when they were ready for more serious testing, suddenly came a telegram with the information about the cancellation of the program. While women tried desperately to resume the program, Congress was adamant.
Although NASA officially approved that these women were military pilots (in those days women had no such option), the rumor resulted in sexist jokes and snide comments men. Least of all expected betrayal from Jackie Cochran. She said that women astronauts are not needed, because there are enough qualified men who can do the job. It's funny, although at that time women were not allowed to be test pilots of military aircraft, on average, they had more flight hours than the astronauts-men.
"You'll have, and it's absolutely necessary to spend a lot of money, gaining a large group of women, because you will lose them in marriage, said Cochran. Even if we get a second women in a new environment, it will be a better option".There is an opinion that Cochran, having originally been a sponsor of this program, and then contributed to its closure because of the worry that will no longer be the most outstanding female pilot.
The "mercury 13" is not passed in the U.S. space program. Valentina Tereshkova Soviet woman cosmonaut, became the first woman in space in 1963.published
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