In recent news, China has launched three astronauts into space. They will live for the next three months on the new Tiangong Space Station, which was launched from the Gobi desert.
The concept of living in space for several months is mind-boggling. However, within the next few decades, it might be possible to have recreational flights to space.
The rate at which technology is advancing is astonishing. In recent news, NASA, with the help of SpaceX, has sought to understand how space travel affects biological organisms.
Crews will be launching, along with Astronauts, bobtail squid, and water bears. The almost indestructible aquatic organisms are believed to be the key to understanding the effects microgravity has on them.
The 22nd launch by SpaceX placed the small organisms in space along with the crucial resupply needed for the space station stuck in orbit. The results of their study are interesting for several reasons. Here are a few reasons why.
What is Microgravity?
Most people are aware of the concept of zero gravity. News clips of astronauts floating in space and eating apple sauce from midair in little droplet forms are common. Hollywood and movies around the world also depict similar experiences. But, what many do not realize is how inaccurate the word zero-gravity is.
For example, did you know that the international space station is still affected by gravity?
Actually, that should not be too surprising, as being stuck in orbit around the Earth means being affected by the Earth’s gravitational pull. However, the strength of gravity at the International Space Station is only 90% of that on Earth.
What does that mean?
In other words, you would weigh less on the space station than you would if you were on Earth. But how much less? Well, exactly 10 percent less.
If you were to build an impossibly tall elevator from the Earth’s surface to the space station, you’d notice it quickly. If you left the surface with a weight of 100 lbs, you’d reach the station and only weigh 90 lbs. The effectiveness of gravity is still there, which is why the term zero-gravity is misleading.
Instead, it would be more accurate to call it microgravity.
But, why do they float?
To better understand why astronauts float in space or at the International Space Station, you must understand how orbit works.
When astronauts prepare for the effects of microgravity, they use a massive airplane that flys up and down at 45-degree angles. This creates a parabola, where the moments of decent cause the contents of the cabin to experience the sensation of free-falling.
While the plan does this for a limited time, it quickly picks its nose back up until it reaches an altitude where it can repeat the process. The plane flys in a series of ups and down for however long the training must continue.
The experience of gravity or lack thereof on the international space station is a result of the ship’s free-falling around the curvature of the Earth.
What? Free-falling around Earth?
Yes, the space station experiences what is frequently called zero-gravity when it is actually like the contents of the plane, in free-fall.
The space station is traveling so fast around the Earth that inside, everything is in constant free-fall. Gravity is still in effect, but like the downward slope of the plane forming a parabola, the effects are not felt.
For example, throwing a ball in the park can perfectly show the effects of gravity in relation to speed and distance. The harder the ball is thrown, the more distance it travels before it is pulled down to the ground.
Well, the same is in effect with those living in orbit. They are actually being thrown around the Earth so fast that they never touch it. It would be like throwing the ball so fast that it circles the planet, never actually touching the ground.
So, the effects of gravity are still there but appear non-existent as the space station and its contents remain in free-fall.
Understanding the affects
Scientists have launched bobtail squid and water bears into space to test the long-term effects such free-fall has on biological organisms.
Humans, like many other organisms, possess in great numbers microorganisms within our stomachs. It is still not very understood the effects that traveling at such speeds has on the human body, but the recent mission launched by SpaceX will seek to do just that.
Hopefully, by understanding how smaller organisms behave and respond to the grueling conditions of space travel, scientists can make it safer for others.
The future of space travel
Movies like Star-Trek and Star Wars have popularized the concept of space travel, but they might not have been too far off. Within the next 30-50 years, it may be reasonable to expect recreational flights into space.
While some talk of colonizing other planets or even the moon, the mere concept of space travel forever remains on the table. As described best in cinema and pop culture, space is the final frontier.
So, humanity has already touched the stars, but what scientists are currently trying to understand is how the stars have touched us. What effects do space travel and flight have on biological organisms?