Following World War II, the Cold War era found capitalist United States found itself locked in a technological competition with communist Russia not only to demonstrate military strength, but by extension, political and economic superiority. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a public order creating a federal agency named the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that was designated for space exploration. With the tensions heightened, the United States launched its first suborbital flight on Freedom 7, where Alan Shepard became the first American in space (HISTORY). A whole door was opened to the possibilities of innovation and exploration of the unknown. However, the past 60 years in terms of space has been full of both cataclysmal and fortuitous results. The outgrowth of technological and scientific advancements, alone, that have been made calls into question the beneficiality of sending men to space rather than other alternatives.
Robotics
With NASA’s aims of continuing research on distant planets in the Milky Way, the use of robotics has become a key player. As they can withstand harsh conditions, such as extreme temperatures and high levels of radiation (NASA), sending robots definitely have a wider range of adaptability under these circumstances. With the technology continuously making more and more breakthroughs, it’s important to note which components of the robot prove the most valuable when creating a robot that would specifically target the needs of the mission. Thus, the robot’s ability to sense, perceive, identify etc. in the unknown environment is crucial. With varying sensors—optical, acoustic, inertial, magnetic—already in use, scientists have also been using two types of laser scanning system: amplitude-modulated-continuous lasers and time-of-flight lasers. Because of the former’s sensibility to natural light, they are ineffective to outdoor environments. However, the robot can switch to the latter during periods of light because of its capabilities in long ranges (Tunstel, Howard). The success of the Mars rovers has only encouraged scientists to further adhere to the idea of robotics in space. BRUIE, the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, was launched in 2016 and is capable of rolling its wheels along the underside of an icy surface, while simultaneously collecting data and taking pictures. The intent of such a model is to search for signs of life on icy bodies such as Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, or the oceans of Jupiter’s moon, Europa (NASA). The use of technology enables the administration to do the impossible, should they have remained within the realm of man missions. These robots are achieving what mankind could never have done themselves. However, it should be noted that there’s a lot of weight to the rover being able to correctly embark on a path after calculating mobility risk. With programmers unaccustomed to the terrain being dealt with, autonomous mapping poses as a challenge as it leaves the decision solely up to the rover. The issue of navigation, as a whole, could be an issue in terms of maintaining information about the robot’s geographical location (Krotkov). This opens the door for other obstacles such as response time. The distance in space between the allocated rover and the Earth can be so vast that transmissions of data and information fails to be instantaneous. From Earth to Mars taking as long as forty minutes (Slakey, Spudis), Earth to other planets would be significantly longer. In the case of an emergency, this could lead to detrimental outcomes for the mission as robots are set to work within whatever they have programmed to do. Anything outside of that, and human intervention would prove to be too late.
Human Physiology
Should society decide to continue on with manned missions over robotics, a serious consideration is the physiological effects that the astronauts will be facing during their stay in the International Space Station (ISS). One major aspect is how the differences in gravity interact with the human body. Because of the transition between gravitational forces, astronauts not only experience an effect on locomotion, but spatial, hand-eye and head-eye coordination as well. The nerves are in a frenzy as they attempt to adjust to the atmosphere. Additionally, bones begin to lose minerals, while its density begins to decrease at a rate of 1% a month. This is a red alert for those traveling in space for extended periods of time because on Earth, the bone loss rate ranges from 1-1.5% of elderly per year (NASA). The chances of osteoporosis is great because rehabilitation in terms of bone loss is probable to fail. Another aspect that crucially affects the body is the lack of Earth’s magnetic field. Without it, the astronauts are exposed to harsh radiation. Thus, cancer risk spikes and has devastating effects on the person’s central nervous system. Outcomes could include behavioral changes and reduced motor function. This harms also the muscles, itself, as degenerative tissue diseases could form (NASA). This is just the surface of what astronauts face when venturing out into space. Other effects could range from anorexia and kidney stones, all the way to severe psychiatric disorders. Before society chooses to put men out in space, what really must be considered is if the repercussions, at the astronaut’s expense, are truly worth having them explore the unknown.
Technological Developments
Ever since the launch of the ISS on November 20, 1998, a flurry of debate has surfaced as to whether such methods of scientific exploration is truly worth the risks of having astronauts up in space for extended amounts of time. The ISS’s purpose is to allow for crew members to conduct research from a position that would failed to have progress anywhere on Earth (NASA). However, critics are quick to point out the productivity that has been achieved. As of 2014, only 15 percent of the U.S. racks for experiments aboard the station sat empty (PHYS). An American physicist and recipient of the Nobel Prize, Steven Weinberg, even went as far as to state that “The International Space Station is an orbital turkey… the whole manned spaceflight program… has produced nothing of scientific value” (Filmer). Achievements and breakthroughs may not be constant, however, it should be noted that they have been made. One such example is where researchers observed that specific genetic pathways were more virulent in bacterias, such as Streptococcus pneumonia and Salmonella, due to microgravity. Just these two bacteria alone have been the source of over ten million deaths, annually, in the US. What stemmed from these advertances were new types of therapeutics—including vaccines— and pharmaceutical agents specifically designed to combat these bacterias (Ruttley). Without the opportunities to be able to send man to space and conduct experiments, such advances never would’ve been made. Another example centers around the use of the technology that goes into the ISS, itself. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that’s used as life support to those aboard the ISS involves a water recovery system that provides for the station 1,014 hours longer than the expected 4,380 (Mohon). It has since been adapted to Earth to offer its services to those who fail to have access to safe water. Chiapas, Mexico, is a place where illness from contaminated water ran amok. However, thanks to installation of the adapted plant from the ECLSS, there has been a significant rise in the overall health and cost-savings in the area (Garcia). Children no longer have to worry about fears of parasites and harmful bacteria anymore. While progress has been slow, there have been great discoveries in benefitting the people of this planet. Without manned missions, society would not be where it is today because it is the people whom are living within the ISS/supporting the station that are helping give back and project results on a grand scale.