Space Exploration Flashcards

Effects of Reduced Gravity on the Body

• Bone Loss:

  • Astronauts experience bone loss in space due to reduced resistance from gravity.

  • Bone density loss begins after one week in space.

  • Bone loss occurs when absorption rate exceeds production rate, weakening bones.

  • Astronauts exercise to prevent bone loss.

  • A return trip to Mars could result in lifetime bone loss.

• Muscle Shrinkage:

  • Muscles shrink in space, leading to weakness upon return to Earth.

• Immune System:

  • Long space missions weaken the immune system, reducing its effectiveness against infections.

• Circulatory System:

  • Blood collects in the upper body, increasing blood pressure.

• Heart:

  • The heart works less hard in space, which can weaken it if not adequately exercised.

• Sleep Patterns:

  • Constant noise and light on spacecraft disrupt sleep.

• Radiation:

  • Astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation.

International Space Station (ISS)

• Launched in November 1998, completed in 13 years.

• Habitable low-orbit satellite continuously occupied since 2000.

• Joint project: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CSA, ESA.

• Visited by astronauts from 14 countries.

• Allows constant human presence in space.

• Enables experiments and study of microgravity effects on the human body.

Health Risks in Space

• Reduced gravity weakens muscles and bones.

• Space is not an environment humans are evolved to survive in.

• Microgravity: Smaller effect of gravity in space, decreasing with distance from a body like Earth.

• Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters highlight risks.