Space Tourism Safety Issues
Traveling to space is an out-of-this-world experience that only a select few and very trained astronauts get to have. Imagine if someone were able to axe the training, pay a lot of money and go to space as a tourist instead of a scientist. Space tourism is a budding industry, but passenger safety remains a hot topic.
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History
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As of April 2007, five civilians of varying nationalities have gone to space as tourists by paying their own way to independent space tourism companies. One such company is Virgin Galactic, created by billionaire CEO of Virgin Richard Branson. As of May 2010, no space tourist has died, although three workers were killed in January 2008 in an explosion during a test of a passenger space rocket.
Health and Fitness
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One issue about space tourism safety is the health and fitness level of space tourists. Space travel is, at least for now, a jarring experience. Rocket take-off places much more pressure and force on a human body than a regular airplane does as the rocket accelerates towards space. Astronauts are tested for fitness before being allowed to fly into space.
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Extended Weightlessness
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Another safety issue concerning space tourists is extended weightlessness, or spending days or weeks in zero-gravity. Space takes a toll on the human body. Bone density decreases and the risk of bone breaks, fractures increases.
Muscles, including the heart, become weaker and start to deteriorate in space. Blood flow decreases, which increases exhaustion and fatigue. Sleep patterns are also disrupted because the concept of day and night in space is much different than on earth.
Fire
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Another safety issue facing the space tourism industry is the risk of fire and explosions. The iconic image of space shuttle Challenger exploding over the sea in 1986 is a persistent reminder of the dangers of space flight. Even though the shuttle hadn't yet reached space, the very fact that the mission failed is a testament to the risk of fire and explosion in space.
Animal Tests
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Many of the risks of space travel are known because of on-going animal testing in space. For example, Bion 10, lauched in 1992, carried 15 tadpoles and two monkeys for testing space flight. Seven tadpoles died and the monkeys sustained dehydration because of thermal irregulation in the rocket.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Space Shuttle image by William Wheatley from Fotolia.com
