Embarking on a journey to outer space is no small feat. Whether it’s for leisure, work, research, or scientific exploration, the safety of individuals venturing into the cosmos is paramount. Space tourism is a whole different ball game compared to your typical vacation. As Dr. Wolpe puts it, “You’re putting [people] in a situation the human body was never designed to be in.”
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Scientists can test-drive space missions in extreme and remote environments here on Earth. Analog astronaut facilities, located in deserts and Antarctica, replicate the isolating conditions of actual space travel, as reported by Sarah Scoles.
Astronaut meals could be in for a strange makeover. Current prepackaged food with a shelf life of 1.5 years could potentially be replaced by food made from astronauts’ breath for longer missions, according to Jonathan O’Callaghan.
With only 11 spots available on the International Space Station at a time, alternative living quarters, like a self-assembling space habitat inspired by sea anemones, could offer a solution, as proposed by Sarah Ward.
More than a dozen robotic vehicles are set to land on the moon in the 2020s, paving the way for “lunar economies” and “permanent settlements,” reveals Jonathan O’Callaghan as he delves into the future of lunar exploration.
The International Space Station faces retirement by 2030, prompting NASA to collaborate with private companies to create new commercial space stations for research, manufacturing, and tourism, as highlighted by David W. Brown.
From around the web
The Nobel Prize-winning team behind CRISPR is seeking to cancel two of their own groundbreaking patents, a revelation brought to light by our colleague Antonio Regalado. (MIT Technology Review)
Could efforts to shield young children from allergies have unintentionally triggered a surge in peanut allergies? (Wall Street Journal)