With the maiden launch of NASA’s mega rocket Space Launch System (SLS) and the imminent test launch of SpaceX’s own mega-rocket Starship, human journeys to distant worlds have never felt closer to reality. Unlike the brief lunar jaunts of the Apollo era, these voyages are meant to culminate in months-long or even permanent settlements. In movies and television shows from Total Recall to The Expanse, we’ve woven countless stories that have helped us imagine life beyond Earth, but what will it really be like? What’s in store for extraterrestrial pioneers of the near future?
Cabin fever, mostly. As powerful as a mega rocket may be, it’s no warp drive. Getting anywhere in the solar system is still going to take a long, long time. A journey to Mars, for example, would take about nine months one way. For comparison, a submarine crew’s deployment usually lasts about ninety days, and just like a submarine, space will be cramped. Astronauts will have to contend with isolation, boredom, and loneliness.
Then there are the physical health consequences of living like a sardine. No matter how good the air filter on the spacecraft, astronauts will constantly be battling the growth of bacteria that can easily concentrate and spread. Carbon dioxide must be continually scrubbed from the air with a chemical apparatus called CDRA (carbon dioxide removal assemblies). If CO2 accumulates too much, it can lead to headaches, confusion, and eventually unconsciousness and death – so if CDRA breaks down, astronauts better fix it fast.
Weightlessness brings its own slew of problems. In the absence of gravity, bones do not retain the same density as they would on Earth and become more brittle. Muscles get weaker too, making it harder for blood to flow through the body. Fluids also behave differently—for instance, the fluid in your skull can build in pressure, deforming your eyeballs and potentially causing hearing loss.
And then there’s the issue of radiation. Outside of the protective bubble of the Earth’s magnetic field, astronauts will be exposed to high energy particles that can rip through strands of DNA, increasing their risk of cancer. Don’t count on the situation improving much on other planets either. Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field, nor does it have a breathable atmosphere.
There’s practically an endless list of things that might kill you in space, or at the very least make you extremely uncomfortable. You’d think it’d be impossible to recruit good candidates for taking on such a perilous journey. So far, that hasn’t been the case at all. In fact, competition is fierce.
In 2012, Dutch entrepreneur Bas Landsdorp announced a venture called “Mars One” that would establish a permanent settlement on Mars in the 2020s. To fund the endeavor, Mars One planned to produce a reality TV series documenting a competition to win a spot on the crew. After the announcement, Mars One received over 200,000 applications. Mars One proved to be an unworkable mission and went bankrupt in 2019, but for all the problems it had, finding enough applicants certainly wasn’t one of them.
The dangers of space are not a secret. Presumably, at least some of the people who put forth their names to join a Mars mission are serious. So why do it? Why risk your life, your health, and your mental wellbeing?
In the early 20th century, the explorer Ernest Shackleton was recruiting for a different expedition—a journey to cross the Antarctic continent by land for the first time. This was his pitch: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success.” He still got his volunteers.
Perhaps the Antarctic explorers or prospective astronauts aren’t choosing the journey in spite of the danger and difficulty, but because of it. To do what has never been done brings an indescribable thrill that, for some, is worth any cost.
I may not be one of those daredevils, but I’m glad there are so many out there, because with each unprecedented new feat they accomplish, the story of humanity feels a little bit bigger.
Nick Villagra is a STEM Educator at the Connecticut Science Center, responsible for developing and delivering science experiences, including classroom lab programs, stage shows, and vacation camps. Nick holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Swarthmore College. and has been a speaker at the New England Museum Association conference. Always looking to put a unique stamp on the Science Center’s offerings, Nick enjoys incorporating custom-designed 3D printed materials for students to interact with.
