02. Will we actually be able to sustain ourselves and survive in space for extended periods of time? Even for a lifetime? (A K2S Question)
From The Space Library
The record for the longest stay in space keeps getting longer and longer. To date, the current record is over 800 days, set by Space Station Commander Sergei Krikalev. The more people who fly in space and the longer they stay there, the more we learn about what spaceflight does to the human body and how we can survive in space for extended periods. We know that long-term spaceflight causes certain changes in the human body, such as a decrease in bone and muscle mass, a decrease in heart size and the amount of blood in the body, reduced function of the immune system, and a change in the way we sense our surroundings. While these may seem like problems, most of these changes are perfectly appropriate for spaceflight. That is, the changes are good if you want to stay in space. However problems can arise when you return to Earth or if you land on another world. Imagine traveling months and months in space, landing on Mars, stepping out of your spaceship and finding that you are too weak to stand! Another challenge for long-term space stays is supplies. In low Earth orbit, such as for the International Space Station, we can simply send up supplies like food and the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen which make electricity and water. But to sustain ourselves over the long haul—on trips to others planets—we'll need to grow food on spaceships, recycle wastewater and urine, and generate electricity with solar and/or nuclear power. Many of these technologies are being used today, but we'll have to make big improvements in order to sustain people in space for a lifetime. Finally, there is the problem of radiation. Radiation can cause damage to DNA, which can lead to cancer. On Earth and in low Earth orbit, we are protected from harmful solar and space radiation by the Earth's magnetic field. But if we travel beyond this protection or plan to stay in space for entire lifetimes, we will need to build spacecraft with adequate radiation shielding. So far, we don't have this technology.
Answer provided by Brad McLain & Liv Arnesen
Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer
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