Many of us enjoy dreaming about space travel. And many, at some point in their lives, imagine becoming astronauts—or perhaps even the first humans to set foot on Mars. Who wouldn't want to touch the stars?
However, there are some issues that could make you reconsider your dreams, or even abandon them altogether. Space travel is associated with many unpleasant aspects that few people consider, from the inability to use familiar foods to unpredictable health consequences. Here are ten not-so-pleasant problems associated with space travel.
NASA has no specific plans for what to do with the bodies of people who die in space. In fact, NASA hasn't really thought about it yet, so no one trains astronauts on what to do if their colleagues die. But what if this does happen? The likelihood is much higher now than before, as NASA is planning very long-term missions (like flights to Mars).
One option is to jettison the body into outer space. However, this is not a good option, as it would litter low-Earth orbit, something prohibited by the United Nations because it could pose a danger to other spacecraft. Another option is to store the body inside the spacecraft until returning to Earth. However, this option is also bad, as it could endanger the health of other astronauts. A final option—if humanity ever manages to colonize Mars—is to convert the bodies into fertilizer. However, doubts remain as to whether this is a good idea.
NASA is currently developing a project, tentatively dubbed "Body Back," in collaboration with Promessa. The plan is to seal a corpse in a hermetically sealed bag and attach it to the outer wall of a spacecraft, where it will be exposed to the extremely cold temperatures of space. The frozen body will gradually break down into tiny particles as a result of the vibrations generated by the spacecraft's motion. By the time it returns to Earth, it will have turned into fine dust.
Fresh water supplies in space are extremely limited. American astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) obtain most of their water from the Water Recovery System, which has been supplied by NASA since 2009. As its name suggests, this system recovers and uses the water astronauts lose through urine and sweat to make tea and coffee.
American astronauts recycle not only their own urine but also the urine of cosmonauts who have opted out of this system. According to Lane Carter, NASA's responsible for providing water to astronauts on the ISS, the recycled water tastes just like bottled water.
In reduced gravity, space travelers' bodies begin to suffer from premature aging. Their skin ages faster, becoming drier, thinner, and itchy. Their bones and muscles weaken. During spaceflight, astronauts lose one percent of their muscle mass and up to two percent of their bone mass each month. A four-month stay on the International Space Station will result in a loss of approximately 11 percent of the total pelvic bone mass.
Even arteries and veins suffer. They lose the elasticity typical of people in their 20s and 30s. This makes astronauts susceptible to heart disease and strokes. Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk began suffering from weakness, brittle bones, and loss of balance after six months in space. He said that by the time he returned to Earth, he felt like an old man. Premature aging is now recognized as one of the major side effects of space travel. This problem remains a pressing one, although astronauts can reduce its effects by exercising for two hours daily.
4. Space travel can lead to infertility
There are suggestions that long-term space travel could render astronauts infertile. In one experiment, male rats were suspended for six weeks, simulating zero gravity. This resulted in decreased testicular activity and a significant reduction in sperm production, rendering them virtually infertile. Female rats sent into space suffered a similar or even worse fate. Their ovaries stopped working after 15 days. By the time they returned to Earth, the genes responsible for producing estrogen (the female hormone) had ceased functioning, resulting in the complete cessation of egg production.
Furthermore, space travel significantly reduces libido. In one experiment with mice, two males and five females sent into space refused to mate. However, some researchers insist that space travel has nothing to do with libido or infertility. The eggs of fish and frogs that have been in space have been fertilized, although the froglets never progressed beyond the tadpole stage. Furthermore, after returning to Earth, male astronauts have sex with their wives quite happily.
The same applies to female astronauts. They successfully conceived soon after returning from space, although they had a higher rate of miscarriages. The impact of space travel on reproduction remains controversial, and due to the sensitive nature of the subject, details are not disclosed. NASA has refused attempts to conduct sperm tests on its male astronauts due to privacy concerns.
Despite all the advances in space technology, space sickness remains one of NASA's biggest headaches. More than half of all astronauts sent into space experience nausea, headaches, vomiting, and general discomfort, all symptoms of space sickness, also known as space adaptation syndrome. One notable example is former Senator Jake Garn, who began experiencing this syndrome even before leaving Earth. By the time he returned, Garn was unable to walk properly.
Garn's suffering from space sickness was so severe that his name became an unofficial unit of measurement for the illness. Astronauts can rate their symptoms with phrases like "one garn," "two garns," "three garns," and so on. Although NASA has yet to find a solution to the problem of space sickness, it has developed a device to warn astronauts of its onset.
When creating the first spacesuit, NASA made a mistake. Apparently, scientists forgot that astronauts might have to urinate in their suits. This oversight forced astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, to urinate directly into his spacesuit. This was preceded by widespread controversy, as NASA officials feared that urine could short-circuit the electrical connections in the suit.
To prevent this from happening in the future, NASA developed a condom-like device that astronauts donned before suiting up. Understandably, this device proved problematic when women began flying into space in the 1970s. Ultimately, NASA developed a system for collecting urine and feces, called the Disposable Absorption Containment Trunk (DACT). The DACT was used by both sexes, although it was designed specifically for women.
In 1988, NASA replaced the DACT with the Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG), which is essentially akin to an adult diaper. The only difference is that it's designed like shorts. Each astronaut is issued three MAGs for each mission: one for work in space, one for reentry, and a third for backup.
7. There is no emergency medical care in space.
NASA doesn't have modern medical equipment on its spacecraft or even on the ISS. It only has medications and equipment necessary for first aid. This means that if astronauts become seriously ill, they can't receive the necessary medical care. So, what happens when an astronaut becomes seriously ill or even requires surgery?
In such cases, NASA requires the astronaut to be sent back to Earth. NASA has an agreement with the Russian space agency Roscosmos for emergency Soyuz rocket launches to evacuate ill astronauts from the ISS. In addition to the ill astronaut, the rocket must carry two additional astronauts to accompany them, as the flight requires a crew of three. The cost of such a launch is hundreds of millions of dollars, and a seriously ill astronaut may not even survive the journey.
If NASA faces such a huge task evacuating a single sick astronaut from the "nearby" ISS, what would happen if it needed to transport someone sick from Mars? NASA, through one of its subsidiaries, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), is funding several institutions to develop unique medical equipment that could help treat complex conditions like heart attacks and appendicitis in space.
8. In space, drugs lose their effectiveness faster.
We just mentioned that only basic medical care is available in space. But even this care will be limited, because most available medications don't work as effectively as they would on Earth. During one study, scientists assembled eight first-aid kits containing 35 different medications, including sleeping pills and antibiotics. Four kits were sent to the International Space Station, and four more were stored in a special chamber at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
After 28 months, medications sent to the ISS were found to be less effective than those stored at the space center. Furthermore, six medications changed in consistency or color, compared to only two at the space center. Researchers believe the loss of effectiveness is due to the excessive vibration and radiation to which medications are exposed in space. NASA is currently mitigating this problem by replacing medications on the ISS every six months. Future plans include improving the packaging and ingredients used in the production of medications intended for use in space.
9. Another problem is carbon dioxide.
The ISS has elevated carbon dioxide concentrations. On Earth, CO2 concentrations are approximately 0.04 TP3T, but on the ISS, they can be up to 20 times higher. This causes adverse side effects such as headaches, irritability, and sleep problems, which have become common among astronauts. Almost all astronauts complain of headaches early in their missions.
Unlike on Earth, where exhaled carbon dioxide dissipates into the air, the CO2 exhaled by astronauts forms a cloud above their heads. The ISS has special fans that disperse these clouds above the astronauts' heads. NASA is currently working to reduce the overall CO2 concentration by at least half. However, this will still significantly exceed the recommended concentration. Perhaps NASA will be able to solve this problem by using a more efficient ventilation system. Hopefully, NASA will find a solution to this problem before we go to Mars.
10. Interesting fact about Jupiter
Even the school curriculum includes information about space exploration in the USSR, cosmonauts, and space flights. Even at preschool age, children know about the existence of a planet called Jupiter, as it is the largest in the solar system. It would be great to expand children's knowledge of interesting facts about space by understanding just how enormous this celestial body is. It turns out that all existing objects in our solar system could fit inside Jupiter. Galileo Galilei discovered Jupiter's largest moons back in 1610. There are 69 of them in total.
11. Lead snow on Venus
When discussing the most amazing facts about space, it's necessary to mention the so-called Venusian snow. Could you imagine it raining lead? It's quite possible. Scientists first discovered this phenomenon in the 1990s. It was discovered that the surface of Venus's mountains contains a coating that effectively reflects radio signals. Initially, experts assumed the materials were deposited by erosion. After a series of experiments on our planet, it was discovered that metallic snow occasionally falls on Venus.
12. How did comets appear?
One of the most intriguing questions about space is the origin of our planet. It's difficult to say how long this mystery will remain relevant, and from a philosophical standpoint, perhaps it's better for it to remain unsolved. However, we already know several interesting facts about space, one of which is the following. It turns out that asteroids are a byproduct of the solar system's creation. As recently as 4.5 billion years ago, they consisted solely of gas, sand, and ice. Moreover, the largest mountain known to date is located on an asteroid named Vesta.
13. Trans-Neptunian object Sedna
Few people know about a rather interesting fact about space related to the existence of a trans-Neptunian object called Sedna. It is generally accepted that there are eight planets in the Solar System. However, there is also a category of dwarf celestial bodies, which includes:
- Pluto;
- Hanumea;
- Ceres;
- Eridu;
- Makemake.
Since the other planets are located beyond Pluto, they are not considered official or "dwarf planets" in our solar system. However, there is also a neighboring planet, Sedna, discovered in 2003. It is believed to be approximately 11 million years old. It is quite possible that Sedna will soon become a full member of the "solar system association.".
14. There is water not only on Earth
One of the most curious facts about space is the Moon. Its mere existence encourages researchers to pursue science without sleep. And now it's been discovered that there's water on the Moon. Until recently, it was thought that ice existed only in shadowed craters we couldn't see, but scientists now know of the existence of ice beneath the surface. The fact is that our planet's gravitational field significantly slows the Moon's rotation, so we only see one side. The other side is mountainous, contains ice, and has many unexplored areas.
15. Cold Uranus
When discussing the most interesting and amazing places in space, it's impossible not to mention Uranus. Even in the northern part of our planet, living conditions for humans leave much to be desired. Many areas of Earth remain uninhabited. And this despite the fact that in the coldest places on our planet, temperatures reach around 50 degrees Celsius below zero. The question arises: how quickly would a person turn into an icicle on Uranus? The temperature on Uranus is -224°C. And we have reason to believe that this is far from the lowest possible temperature.
16. Prospects for exploring Pluto
Relatively recently, experts obtained new images of Pluto. Based on the information they received, they have reason to believe that Pluto is a double planet. This is because the moon Charon orbits Pluto on a different axis than the planet itself. But that's not the most important thing. The problem is that a more in-depth analysis can only be obtained by visiting the planet. Indeed, we already know an interesting fact about Pluto: it would take about 800 years to reach the planet. Naturally, humans aren't yet capable of piloting a spacecraft for that long. Apparently, all that's needed to explore is a teleport.
17. Space is silent
Interest in space exploration is growing rapidly, and not only among developed countries. People have long been aware of current problems and see the need to explore new spaces. Perhaps the problems associated with the slow pace of space exploration stem from the understanding that humans must first address the problems on Earth before beginning the search for new life forms. Perhaps it stems from the fact that humans know very little about other spaces. Nevertheless, progress is noticeable. Even the recent fact that space is silent confirms this. Sound waves require a medium, and space has no atmosphere. Yet, there are already approximately 500,000 pieces of space debris created by human travel!
18. NASA is already exploring Neptune.
When discussing the most interesting facts about space exploration, it's worth mentioning the achievements of NASA specialists. It was recently announced that NASA scientists are planning to send a super-heavy rocket called the Space Launch System to Neptune. Furthermore, a new mission to Mars will take place soon. As a reminder, the Curiosity rover spent six years on the Red Planet. During this time, advances were made in the study of rocks and soil. It's hard to imagine how long it will take to explore Neptune.
19. The universe has a smell
We've already learned that there are no sound waves in space and that there is water on Mars and the Moon. We've also learned that human exploration is polluting space. And we've also learned of NASA's plans to visit Neptune. What else could surprise you? Perhaps you'll be pleased to learn that some parts of space have a scent. It's an ethereal aroma. Due to hydrogen cyanide, the scent of almonds is observed in space. Amazing, isn't it? Of course, the fact that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth's beaches is more interesting, but still... Humanity already knows what space smells like!
20. Boomerang
Who wouldn't want to conduct their own little experiment in space? Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut with a PhD in aerospace engineering, threw a boomerang at the ISS, and it kept returning to him—time after time. That's because a boomerang isn't dependent on gravity; it only requires air. But what if you throw a boomerang in outer space, where there's no air? It'll just float through space.
21. "Karman Line"«
Did you know that space begins exactly at this line—100 km from Earth—the "Kármán line." It's just that the air there is so thin that no plane can fly higher.
22. Minus 2 days
If the Earth revolved around the Sun in the opposite direction, the year would be two days shorter. Strange, isn't it? But scientists have already calculated it. It turns out that our satellite, the Moon, is moving away from us by approximately 4 cm every year. This is due to the planet's rotation period decreasing by 2 milliseconds per day.
23. "Signal Wow"«
This name was given to a signal from deep space in 1977. It lasted 72 seconds. The source of the signal was determined to be near the star Tau Sagittarii in the constellation Sagittarius. One hopes that intelligent beings have remained silent since then because they are expecting a "salaverdi" from us.
24. Tears in Orbit
An interesting fact you'd encounter if you shed a tear on the space station: it would hang on your cheek or in the air as a ball—there's simply nowhere for it to fall in zero gravity. And anyway, liquid droplets are dangerous to instruments, which is why astronauts always smile!
25. Incredible clustering of asteroids
In reality, the incredible clustering of asteroids is simply a cinematic device to heighten the tension of the action on screen. In reality, there's plenty of space between them, easily and safely traversed without colliding with anything significant.
26. Obsolete sun rays
Thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists, it's long been known that the sun's rays reach our planet in eight minutes, covering a distance equivalent to approximately one hundred million miles. But in fact, the rays that warm us on cold days and scorch us on hot ones are over 30,000 years old. This is because they originate as streams of energy deep within the sun, and due to its internal gravity, they take so long to reach its surface.
27. Comet
In 1843, a comet nicknamed "The Great Comet" passed dangerously close to Earth. Its tail stretched nearly 800 million kilometers behind it, so for about a month after its passage, Earthlings could see its streak across the night sky.
28. No matter where we rush, we will return back
Even if humans possessed spaceships capable of reaching incredible speeds and traversing light-years in mere moments, they still wouldn't be able to reach the edge of the universe. This is due to the curvature of space—any object flying along a perfectly straight trajectory will eventually return to its starting point. Scientists have determined this, but they still can't explain why.
29. The tenth planet of the Solar System
In 2003, American scientists discovered another planet beyond Pluto—the tenth—orbiting the Sun. They named it Eris. This discovery became possible thanks to advances in modern technology; several decades ago, scientists were unaware of such interesting facts about space and planets. Later, it was also determined that other natural space objects exist beyond Pluto, which, along with Pluto and Eris, were later called trans-Plutonian. Scientists' interest in newly discovered planets is driven not only by the desire to explore space in close proximity (by cosmic standards) to planet Earth. It is crucial to determine whether the new planet could accommodate humans if necessary. It is also crucial to assess the risks the new object poses to the continued existence of life on Earth. Some space researchers believe that interesting facts about space in general, and the study of the tenth planet in particular, can help solve the mysteries associated with unidentified flying objects, the presence of grandiose structures on the Earth's surface, and the giant crop circles that have not found a real explanation.
30. Mysterious companion Moon
Could it be that the Moon, so familiar to all earthlings, holds so many secrets? Indeed, the most interesting facts about space indicate that planet Earth's satellite harbors many mysteries. Let's list just a few questions that remain unanswered. Why is the Moon so large? There are no other natural satellites in the Solar System comparable in size to the Moon—it's only a quarter the size of our home planet! How can we explain the fact that the Moon's diameter perfectly covers the solar disk during a total eclipse? Why does the Moon orbit in a nearly perfect circle? These are very difficult to explain, especially considering that the orbits of all other known natural satellites are elliptical.
31. Where is Earth's twin located?
Scientists claim that Earth has a twin. It turns out that Titan, a moon of Saturn, is very similar to our home planet. Titan has seas, volcanoes, and a dense atmosphere! Titan's atmosphere contains exactly the same percentage of nitrogen as Earth's – 75%! This striking similarity undoubtedly demands a scientific explanation. Unfortunately, there is no evidence yet of intelligent life on Titan. However, the search for primitive life on this planet may not be hopeless. Studies have shown that beneath the surface there is a very likely ocean, consisting of 90% of water. It seems that exciting facts about space exploration are yet to come!
32. The Mystery of the Red Planet
Mars, as we know, is known as the red planet of the solar system. Conditions suitable for life—the composition of the atmosphere, the possibility of bodies of water, the temperature—all indicate that the search for life on this planet, even in its most primitive form, is not promising. It has even been scientifically confirmed that lichens and mosses exist on Mars. This means that the simplest forms of complex organisms exist on this celestial body. However, progress in studying it is very difficult. Perhaps the main problem is the great distance from Earth to Mars, which is a natural obstacle to direct exploration of this planet—astronaut flights are still very limited due to imperfect technology.
33. Why did flights to the Moon stop?
Many interesting facts about space travel relate to our natural satellite. Americans have landed on the Moon, and Eastern specialists are also exploring it. However, mysteries still remain. After a successful flight to the Moon and landing on its surface (if, of course, these facts actually took place!), the program to study the natural satellite was practically curtailed. This turn of events is puzzling. Indeed, what's going on? Perhaps some understanding of this problem comes from the statement of American astronaut Armstrong, who visited the Moon, that this celestial body is already occupied by a life form against which humanity has no chance. Unfortunately, the general public knows virtually nothing about what scientists actually know. Even though spacecraft carrying astronauts to the Moon have ceased, the mysteries of this extraordinary satellite continue to attract the attention of researchers on Earth. The unknown has a magnetic force, especially when the object is in close proximity, by cosmic standards.