Unit E Lesson 12: The Risks and Dangers of Space Exploration
Completion requirements
Unit E Lesson 12: The Risks and Dangers of Space Exploration
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Learning Targets |
Big Question: What are the risks and dangers of space exploration?
Launching a rocket successfully into space is one of the most complicated feats science has ever accomplished. There are many risks and dangers involved in all aspects of these missions.
Launching a rocket successfully into space is one of the most complicated feats science has ever accomplished. There are many risks and dangers involved in all aspects of these missions.
At the end of this inquiry, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What are five hazards of space travel?
- What is space junk?
- Why is space junk a problem?
- What is the largest contributor to space junk?
Pages 457 to 459 in your textbook will help you answer these questions.
What are some of the hazards of space travel?
Outer space is a very hostile environment. It provides none of what humans need – food, water, oxygen, gravity - and the environment also contains dangers unimaginable on Earth.
Traveling back and forth to space has many dangers as well. As humans attempt to make space more habitable, we may actually be making it even more hazardous through the creation of space junk.
Outer space is a very hostile environment. It provides none of what humans need – food, water, oxygen, gravity - and the environment also contains dangers unimaginable on Earth.
Traveling back and forth to space has many dangers as well. As humans attempt to make space more habitable, we may actually be making it even more hazardous through the creation of space junk.
Figure 1 – A very dangerous part of space travel is returning to Earth. Re-entry into the atmosphere means dealing with tremendous temperatures due to friction with particles of the atmosphere.
The Hazards of Space Travel – Unfortunate Accidents
In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight because of a failed seal in one of its rockets. All seven astronauts aboard the Challenger died, including Christa McAuliffe who would have been the first teacher in space.
You may have heard the famous line, "Houston, we have a problem", supposedly said by Commander Jim Lovell during the Apollo 13 space mission. During the mission, an oxygen tank exploded, putting the crew at risk of shortage of water, air, and electricity. Fortunately, the three astronauts were brought safely back to Earth.
In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight because of a failed seal in one of its rockets. All seven astronauts aboard the Challenger died, including Christa McAuliffe who would have been the first teacher in space.
You may have heard the famous line, "Houston, we have a problem", supposedly said by Commander Jim Lovell during the Apollo 13 space mission. During the mission, an oxygen tank exploded, putting the crew at risk of shortage of water, air, and electricity. Fortunately, the three astronauts were brought safely back to Earth.
Figure 2 – The crew of Apollo 13: Jim Lovell, Tom Mattingly, and Fred Haise.
Watch
The Risks and Benefits of Space Travel – Radiation, Space Junk, and Canadian Solutions
The following video is a fantastic overview of the risks and benefits of space travel, and also covers some interesting Canadian solutions to space risks.
The following video is a fantastic overview of the risks and benefits of space travel, and also covers some interesting Canadian solutions to space risks.
The Hazards of Space Travel – Solar Flares and Radiation
The ozone layer of Earth provides protection from much of the Sun's radiation. In space, astronauts and their equipment are at far greater risk of a blast by a solar flare. Solar flares, or Coronal Mass Ejections, are huge blasts of electrically charged particles that can burn the electrical circuits in spacecraft and damage tissues in humans. Traveling far beyond the Earth means going through areas of radiation. Watch the following video to learn how NASA dealt with radiation for the Apollo missions to the Moon.
The ozone layer of Earth provides protection from much of the Sun's radiation. In space, astronauts and their equipment are at far greater risk of a blast by a solar flare. Solar flares, or Coronal Mass Ejections, are huge blasts of electrically charged particles that can burn the electrical circuits in spacecraft and damage tissues in humans. Traveling far beyond the Earth means going through areas of radiation. Watch the following video to learn how NASA dealt with radiation for the Apollo missions to the Moon.
The Hazards of Space Travel – Space Junk
Space junk refers to the pieces of debris that have fallen from rockets, satellites, space shuttles, and space stations and remain floating in space. These can cause significant problems for future or ongoing missions in space. Considering how dangerous human spaceflight is, it is amazing that only 18 fatalities have occurred during space missions in the last sixty years. However, space junk or space debris is becoming a real concern.
Spacecraft consist of highly sensitive equipment that depends on working perfectly throughout a mission. If damaged, it is exceptionally difficult to repair. Due to the increased amount of traffic in space – manned missions, unmanned missions, satellites, etc. – increasing amounts of debris is in orbit around the Earth. This debris does not float around the Earth, but rather shoots through space at 20 000 km/hr.
Watch the following video to learn more about the dangers of space junk, and some ideas for dealing with the problem.
Space junk refers to the pieces of debris that have fallen from rockets, satellites, space shuttles, and space stations and remain floating in space. These can cause significant problems for future or ongoing missions in space. Considering how dangerous human spaceflight is, it is amazing that only 18 fatalities have occurred during space missions in the last sixty years. However, space junk or space debris is becoming a real concern.
Spacecraft consist of highly sensitive equipment that depends on working perfectly throughout a mission. If damaged, it is exceptionally difficult to repair. Due to the increased amount of traffic in space – manned missions, unmanned missions, satellites, etc. – increasing amounts of debris is in orbit around the Earth. This debris does not float around the Earth, but rather shoots through space at 20 000 km/hr.
Watch the following video to learn more about the dangers of space junk, and some ideas for dealing with the problem.
The Hazards of Space Travel – The Unexpected
In the 2013 movie Gravity, a team of researchers in space encounter many of the dangers that exist in space.
As you watch the following movie trailer, see if you can spot evidence of space dangers: space junk, explosions, lack of oxygen, microgravity, and temperature extremes. Are the other dangers you can spot as well?
In the 2013 movie Gravity, a team of researchers in space encounter many of the dangers that exist in space.
As you watch the following movie trailer, see if you can spot evidence of space dangers: space junk, explosions, lack of oxygen, microgravity, and temperature extremes. Are the other dangers you can spot as well?