Surviving in Space Summary.

In the article Surviving in Space, National Geographic January 2001, Micheal E. Long reports how astronauts have to face difficulties while living in space and how the problems are going to be solved.

According to Long, there are a lot of problems living in space including disorientation of weightlessness, physical problems and psychological problelms.

Astronauts have nausea from weightlessness but they can adjust after a while and even enjoy it later. Fluid flows upward too much in space and that causes organs to enlarge. Lack of exercise make astronauts suffer from muscle weakness and bone loss but exercise is the best solution for those. Researchers are designing a computer system to indicate astronauts to fix the injuries themself in case of emergency. Radiation from the sun and other galaxies are not absorbed in space. Astronauts can get cancer because of it. Now researchers are coming up with some antioxidant drugs to cope with such a problem. Psychological problems occur in isolated space ship especially when you have to always deal with the same people everyday. Isolation, cultural differences and having tight shedule cause stress and depression, too but the crew just have to talk abou it and understand each other's culture so they can adjust to each other.

Long also states that NSBR (National Space Biomedical Research Institute) is ready for the Mars mission in 2010. Research results can also help people with related diseases. According to a cardiovascular surgeon, we need science research and we are not wastig money in space projects.



Micheal E. Long, (January 2001). Surviving in Space. National Geographic.



NOTE: The article is 23 pages long including a lot of graphics. I left something out for sure but I hope I got all the main ideas.