Jones examines what exploration work NASA and its partners are planning at ISS and whether the results from their orbiting lab will arrive in time to help. One of the most highly visible exploration-driven experiments at ISS was astronaut Scott Kelly's 340-day stay in orbit in 2015-16--longer than a transit to or from Mars. After landing, Kelly showed some deficiencies in muscle dexterity, postural control and fine motor skills. Overall, however, Kelly's experience showed that a year in space is not significantly more stressful than a six-month stay. Reliable and efficient human life support systems are essential on journeys far from Earth, where spare parts are not available and system performance is a matter of life and death. Future systems may include space-grown plants, which can recycle crew CO2 and waste while producing oxygen and fresh food.
BACKING THE STATION
Aerospace America ; 55 , 5
2017
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch