3.0 Interplanetary Explorations

 The realities of exploring or colonizing our solar system include cost, technological and infrastructure challenges, and the human equation of human endurance and adverse health issues due to zero or low gravity.

Our solar system consists of one sun, nine planets, and 205 moons orbiting full-size “planets while 8 moons orbit the smaller” dwarf planets. That was the October 2008 observance. As of November 2019, 288 asteroid moons and 107 trans-Neptunian moons (including those of Pluto and Haumea) had been discovered.

Our system it seems is getting more crowded by the day and our abilities to get there are ever expanding. It’s logical to believe that by 2050, or earlier, Lunar and Martian colonies will exist either in a transitory or permanent state.

With so many unknown bodies in our solar system it is reasonable to say that existing treaties and laws cannot justifiably claim rights over everything in or beyond our planetary orbit. Our definition of colonialism / claiming a territory is where one nation assumes control over the other and Imperialism refers to political or economic control, either formally or informally. This concept then would have us believe that exerting either colonial or imperial control over any celestial body is possible by who ever gets there first, regardless of treaties and laws signed by less than all nations.

3.1 Health Issues Associated with Zero Gravity

The adaptation of our species to safely function in such environments has the potential of conflict with Earth among those who do explore and set up colonies or resource extraction sites in space or on another planet. Whether these are technological or biological adaptations the central Earth based celestial control over such endeavors will be a challenge. 

Basically, long-term exposure to the zero gravity causes numerous health problems from the redistribution of fluids and loss of bone and muscle mass affecting performance and potentially increasing the risk of harm, as well as reduction in the ability to absorb oxygen, which slows down cardiovascular activity.

In March 2016 astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth after being in space for 340 days. The purpose of his mission was to better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to the harsh space environment when compared to his twin who was on earth. (NASA’s Twins Study Results Published in Science Journal)

One of the most striking discoveries from NASA’s Twins Study is that Scott Kelly experienced a change in telomere length dynamics during spaceflight and within days of landing. Telomeres located at the ends of each strand of DNA protect our chromosomes. Results from this investigation may help to evaluate general health and identify potential long-term risks.

3.2 Realities of Exploratory Trips to Mars

The concept of an exploration to Mars is best served by setting up permanent habitation wherein the explorers become colonists. Considering the associated costs, a government or business would be looking at a high return on the dollar and this usually results in trying to monopolize the resource.

The lowest energy transfer to Mars is a Hohmann transfer orbit, which would involve an approximately 9 month travel time from Earth to Mars, about five hundred days at Mars to wait for the transfer window to Earth, and a travel time of about 9 months to return to Earth.

The surface gravity on Mars is only about 38% of the surface gravity on Earth. Long-term exposure to the zero gravity causes multiple health problems including redistribution of fluids and loss of bone and muscle mass. Over time, these effects can compromise astronaut performance, which can increase the risk of them being harmed, as well as reduce their ability to absorb oxygen, which slows down their cardiovascular activity.

A round trip to Mars is 18 months in zero gravity and an additional 16 months on the surface at 38% gravity. Upon returning from the trip a person would then suffer the full weight of earth’s gravity after about 2.8 years of greatly reduced gravity.

Russian Valery Polyakov has the record for longest space duration at 437 days which is almost 600 days less than a round trip to Mars.

Martian colonialism is about the planting of the human seed and developing space tourism to Mars should only be considered after a viable colony is established. Tourists are of the wrong mindset to build a colony.

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