Bao: the best candidate for future space roaming (reproduced)

2021-5-1912: 09 | Personal classification: popular science | Systematic classification: popular science highlights

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A long journey-the best choice for future space roaming

Bao 202 1-5- 19

1969 On July 20th, astronaut Armstrong landed on the moon. The exciting times have come, and humans have flown out of the earth. However, human eyes see farther.

1990, Hubble telescope was successfully launched by the space shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center. Since then, amazing discoveries have been made, and images of the depths of the universe have been sent back to the earth. On June 5438+ 10, 2020, an international team of astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to discover the farthest and oldest known galaxy cluster. Hubble telescope has brought us more mysterious space, and there are more galaxies besides the Milky Way. Nowadays, people have focused their next goal on 10 or landing on Mars in 20 years.

The dream of mankind is to keep exploring and fly deeper into the universe. Have you ever thought that one day you will take a spaceship to explore or migrate to distant galaxies? Are you ready?

Space travel is not an easy task. It is not a trip to board a rocket ship, but a trip.

Space journey is a journey of time, a race against time, and a long journey in light years. Space travel is a speed trip, but our speed is like a snail, even if it is several times the speed of sound, it is difficult to reach, let alone the speed of light. A space journey or a material journey requires a lot of nutrients and tools and equipment. Space journey is an energy journey, which needs high-efficiency energy to push forward. It is impossible to travel in space or burn money without sufficient financial support.

In the face of difficulties, human beings have not hesitated. In the history of space development, it is gratifying that on the nights of 20 15, 12, 2 1, the space exploration technology company founded by Tesla founder elon musk finally recovered the rocket vertically. As he said, "If rockets can be reused like airplanes, the cost of going into space can be reduced by a hundredfold." It is more and more possible for human beings to embark on a long journey.

A journey in space is a journey of longing. Who is the best candidate for space travel? For so many years, space has been dominated by men. Can it be entirely undertaken by women? As astronauts, do women have advantages? Where are the advantages?

The answer is given in issue 7 of National Geographic 20 19. There are four factors to consider. Compared with men, their bodies are smaller; The damage caused by physical effects in space is small; The inherent characteristics of women are more suitable for long-distance travel tasks; The last one is the problem of life extension caused by distant interstellar travel and immigration, and how to breed the next generation, two generations or even generations in interstellar travel.

The weight advantage is obvious. The smaller the launch and flight volume of spacecraft, the less fuel is needed and the lower the cost. The data show that if an object weighing 1 kg is sent into space, it will cost 5000 to 10 000 dollars. Smaller advantages are even more prominent. Women need less food and oxygen. During a four-month simulated trip to Mars, researchers found that at the same level of activity, women consumed less than half the calories of men. The space of the spacecraft is limited, and the supplies it carries are very limited. For short-distance travel, this difference seems small, but for long-distance travel, the consumption is large. In addition, short people have less excreta, such as carbon dioxide and sweat. This means that the spacecraft needs a lower system to deal with excrement.

The second is the physiological symptoms or effects of the body in the spatial environment. Leaving the earth means that there is no protection of the atmosphere and geomagnetic field, and space radiation will cause physical damage, which will easily lead to an increase in the risk of cancer or other problems. In microgravity environment, many unexpected things will happen and the body will lose its sense of direction. For example, the flow of body fluids in the body will change, the immunity will be reduced, and even some genes will mutate, and the vision will be inexplicably worse.

As early as 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began to collect various indicators and medical data of astronauts in the space environment when it started the project mercury. In 20 14, they released data accumulated for decades. Recently, many round-trip missions of female astronauts have been carried out. In space, men are less likely to suffer from space motion sickness, but their hearing has declined. Space motion sickness refers to diseases that are easy to get in the first few days of flying in space microgravity environment. Due to the redistribution of body fluid flow, it includes inexplicable discomfort, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and other diseases. The latest results show that men's eyesight will decline. Women seem to be more prone to urinary tract infections (but the symptoms are not limited to space). In other respects, women don't seem to show any disadvantages. A NASA astronaut said half-jokingly in his autobiography that if scientists can't find the problem that causes eye diseases, "we can only send an all-female astronaut team to Mars."

Third, in the face of months or years, in a narrow space, will the formation composed entirely of female astronauts live in harmony? The problem now is that little is known about whether women are qualified to travel long distances in the vast and monotonous space environment.

Some studies show that in the simulation experiments in harsh environments, such as hiking in desert environment, polar exploration, Antarctic wintering experiments, etc., men perform very well in short-term and targeted tasks, while women perform even better in long-term and living environments.

A psychologist at the University of Texas Medical College said: "People are more sensitive in the' residential' environment, so you must pay attention to it and communicate more, while women are more skilled in communication." But this does not mean that men can't communicate well in long-term space missions, but that women have more potential in such missions.

Most importantly, we have to face a very challenging problem: space immigrants from distant galaxies. It is difficult for generations to complete the task in the space journey carried by light years. The article said: "You can send three men and three women as a group, and then let them breed the next generation on the road. But it is not cost-effective. You can freeze male germ cells in a small test tube and travel with the boat without giving them away. In other words, the most cost-effective space roaming plan is to form an all-female group with a sperm bank (diversity). "

To sum up, considering weight, physical effects in space, social and psychological skills and the birth of space babies, women seem to be the best candidates.

Despite all these advantages, why not launch a space flight team composed entirely of female astronauts now? A person in charge said: At present, women's working time in space is still short, and the data is still very small. Dealing with the effects of space flight remains to be studied.

But does this mean that there is no reason to send people to carry out such a space mission?

The answer is given at the end of the article, which is not completely correct. According to some data of team activity research, a team composed of men and women is the best choice. The reason why women will do better in space travel is not to say categorically that an all-female space team will do the best. Of course, women are much better than those big, unsociable and infertile guys.

When astronaut Armstrong landed on the moon, at the moment he set foot on the moon, he said, "One small step for me, one giant step for mankind." Yes, we believe that the universe we long for is getting closer and closer to us. Maybe one day, you may also embark on a distant journey.

My life is long, but my heart is endless. Space travel is a journey of time and energy, speed and passion.