essay about space travel in the future

The Future of Space Exploration Essay

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Space Exploration

Benefits of space exploration, negatives of space exploration, increase in space exploration and possible future impacts, ways of space exploration with the least damage.

Space exploration is one of the most rapidly developing science which is known for its high financial implications and advanced cutting-edge technologies. Life beyond the planet was always an object of researches and investigation. Many new developments, equipment, and discoveries from space are notably useful and efficient for improving the level and the quality of life on the Earth. The history of that kind of researches started in ancient times when philosophers tried to investigate the night sky to find out the system of stars arrangement. Since then, studies in this field have progressed in a significant way, and now people even have their own space station in Earth orbit. Nowadays, there are specialized organizations such as the Aerospace Industries Association or American Astronautical Society the goal of which is to explore space. The purpose of this paper is to describe the particularities of space exploration, taking into consideration its advantages and disadvantages for humanity, ethical questions, and predictions about the future of this industry.

It is an erroneous belief that the exploration of space does not have any impact on the life of ordinary humans. It improves the quality of the life of millions of people every day: the technologies designed for space studies are now used in the medical sphere and for conducting other experiments (Rai et al., 2016). Nevertheless, space research also poses many ethical questions to society concerning colonization, financial resources, and ecological issues. With the advancement of this science, increasingly more questions rest without any answers. For many people who are not very familiar with the topic, it seems to be a complete waste of the governmental budget and just a way for experts to entertain themselves.

In the era of Gagarin and first trips into space, being a cosmonaut was considered to be highly prestigious, respected, and, at the same time, romantic. At the present moment, this science went too far away frthe om basic understanding that people regret that their taxes are spent on the exploration of the place that they would never visit. The attitude of the researchers in this field is rather ambivalent; the main beneficial and negative points of space exploration would be covered in the next parts to make the argumentative and clear statement.

The investigation of space has many advantages for society despite the fact that they are not highly notable for an ordinary person. For example, space researches encourage studies of different types of science (Panesor, 2009). What is more, the young specialists in chemistry, biology, or engineering become interested in the space sphere (Panesor, 2009). It is profitable for both sides – students provide innovative ideas, and the research centers help the new generation of scientists to get the job and to be well-paid. The benefits of space exploration cannot be counted only in money because the impact on society is non-quantifiable. According to Jacksona et al. (2019), a woman plays a crucial role in space studies. Thanks to women-cosmonauts, the level of social inequality declined rapidly in the last decade of the 20th century. A variety of studies show that women and men think and act in contrasting ways. It helps the industry of space exploration to function in a more efficient way considering several distinct points of view.

Space exploration is often claimed to be the sphere for wasting a large sum of money. This industry is one of the most expensive because of the intellectual resources and high-priced equipment details (“Cost of Space Exploration,” 1961). Nonetheless, Baum (2009) proposes the idea of cost-beneficial analysis; from his point of view, it is necessary to keep in mind the ethical risks and the alternative options of the distribution of the budget. In his other study, he raises the issue of the problem of colonization (Baum, 2016). According to his research, if people cannot save nature on the planet, there is no use to attempt to find other places to live. Moreover, the ecological situation becomes significantly severe because of the desire of humans to leave the Earth.

It is important to mention that the cost of space explorations is not always high. It generally depends on the type of research and its goal (“International Space Exploration Coordination Group,” 2013). If the data of previous experiments were used, it would help to make the price for the surveys lower (Battat, 2012). However, it requires more time and effort from the staff and makes this task, not an easy one. Another disadvantage is that it takes years or even decades for inventions and technologies to be a part of the life of ordinary people. The negatives of space exploration are highly notable for society because they cannot see the real impact.

The industry of space studies plays an essential role in the political, social, and economic spheres. If there were more money invested, it might result in a financial crisis in the country. Even though space exploration is supposed to have many non-material benefits and unexpected advantages in the nearest future. For example, the recent developments would be directly integrated into different fields of science. The robotics like the mechanic hand or neurotransmitter are now saving and improving thousands of Roboticsnks to space technologies. The level of intellectual needs in this sphere would encourage cultural and cognitive growth for many people interested in this area of study (Crawford, 2019). If the specialists would not find any place for colonization, it may influence the attitude of the society to the planet and its beautiful nature. People might become more accurate and carrying about the ecological situation on Earth.

First of all, the previous experience and results should be attentively analyzed to make the price of the new inventions lower. Secondly, there should be specialists in public relations who would explain the society why space explorations are too crucial and what are the benefits of it. Finally, space study should become a global issue for developed countries (Krichevsky, 2018). It would reduce the cost for each separate country and would make the process more efficient.

In the modern world, space exploration has its benefits and negatives. The advantages are mostly non-economical and concern the social sphere of life, while the disadvantages are centered around the high costs of the researches. Nevertheless, there are several ways to improve the financial situation and to make the price lower: by using the experience of previous generations or by optimizing the process. Ethical questions should also be taken into consideration and make humanity reflect on ecological and moral questions. Space study is one of the fascinating spheres of science in the 21st century.

• Battat, J. A. (2012). Technology and architecture: Informing investment decisions for the future of human exploration [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Baum, S. (2009). Cost-benefit analysis of space exploration: Some ethical considerations. Space Policy, 25 (2), 75–80.
• Baum, S. (2016). The ethics of outer space: A consequentialist perspective. The Ethics of Space Exploration, 2 (1), 109–123.
• International Space Exploration Coordination Group. (2013). Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration .
• American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1961). Cost of Space Exploration. Science, 133 (3470), 2055–2055.
• Crawford, I. (2019). Widening perspectives: The intellectual and social benefits of Astrobiology, Big History, and the exploration of space. Journal of Big History, 3 (3), 205–224.
• Jacksona, M. S., Knezek, P., Silimon-Hill, M. D., & Cross, M. A. (2019). Women in exploration: Lessons From the past as humanity reaches deep space. International Astronautical Congress, 1 (1), 1–15.
• Krichevsky, S. (2018). Super global projects and environmentally friendly technologies used in space exploration: Realities and prospects of the Space Age. Philosophy and Cosmology, 20 (1), 92–105.
• Panesor, T. (2009). Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society . Institute of physics. Web.
• Rai, A., Robinson, J. A., Tate-Brown, J., Buckley, N., Zell, M., Tasaki, K., & Pignataro, S. (2016). Expanded benefits for humanity from the International Space Station. Acta Astronautica , 126 (2 ) , 463–474.
• History of Pluto Exploration
• Space Exploration: Attitude & Recent Breakthrough
• International Space Exploration: Improving Human Life
• Venus: The Object for Research and Space Missions
• Solar System Formation
• “Mega Project: Space Exploration” Scenarios
• Shuttle Columbia Accident: Lessons Learned
• Galileo's Discoveries Significance
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The Future of Space Exploration

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Published: Jan 30, 2024

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Introduction, scientific discoveries, technological advancements, sustainable colonization, challenges and limitations.

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3 predictions for the future of space exploration — including your own trips

Alejandra Marquez Janse

Mary Louise Kelly

Tinbete Ermyas

Peggy Whitson says more widely available space tourism is realistic. Axiom Space hide caption

Peggy Whitson says more widely available space tourism is realistic.

If you've ever traveled somewhere that left you so enthralled that you wanted to go back over and over, then you get how Peggy Whitson feels about space.

She is a seasoned astronaut who has multiple achievements under her belt: She was the first woman to command the International Space Station, and in 2017 broke the record for most cumulative days in space of any American and female astronaut, with a count of 665.

Whitson retired from NASA nearly five years ago, but last month, at age 63, she packed up the necklace she wore on her wedding day, zipped her spacesuit one more time, and took flight in a SpaceX capsule as commander of the Ax-2 mission. It was sponsored by a private company, Axiom Space, where she now works as the director of human spaceflight. Three paying crew members traveled with her.

After returning to Earth, Whitson spoke with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly and shared a few thoughts about the future of space exploration.

This interview has been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

The Ax-2 crew in a training session. The group, composed of Whitson (far left) and three paying costumers, spent nine days in space last month. Axiom Space hide caption

The Ax-2 crew in a training session. The group, composed of Whitson (far left) and three paying costumers, spent nine days in space last month.

1. Space exploration will be a mix of public and private money

If you look at even the NASA missions returning to the moon, lots of different private space companies are involved in that process. And that includes Axiom Space, for instance, who are building the spacesuits that will be used by the NASA astronauts as they step on the moon again. So it's exciting to be part of this changing philosophy of space and the efforts of commercial companies like Axiom Space. We intend to build the first commercial space station initially attached to the International Space Station, but to undock before the space station is decommissioned.

I think it's a worldwide relationship between different companies and peoples, and that's what makes it such a special time to be a part of the [Ax-2] mission, because [space exploration] is changing flavor and it's exciting because there are going to be many more opportunities in the future.

The Ax-2 crew returns to Earth. Could this be you one day? Axiom Space hide caption

2. More people will be able to go to space

Obviously some of it will take time to make it not cost-prohibitive, but the fact that we are taking those initial steps is really important now. If you look back at commercial aviation and how that occurred and the development of that process, you know, it also started off to be only a few people could be involved and then later more and more, and so now it's pretty commonplace. I like to think that we're doing some of the same steps in commercial spaceflight now.

3. The goals depend on the person — and the country — that's traveling

Well, the objective of the mission is slightly different, obviously. My personal roles and responsibilities of taking care of the crew and ensuring their safety obviously are very similar. But our objectives were, we had one private astronaut, John Shoffner, who was trying to develop science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach products for educators in the future, as well as doing research. And then we had two government sponsored astronauts from Saudi Arabia – the first female Saudi Arabian to fly in space and go to the International Space Station – and the second male to arrive.

SpaceX mission returns from space station with ex-NASA astronaut, 3 paying customers

So the objectives of the crew weren't all that much different necessarily than a NASA mission, which is outreach and scientific investigations, but these were with the specific goals of expanding outreach in specific areas for Saudi – which hadn't had a person in space for 40 years – and, you know, to inspire their youth as well as inspiring the youth in the United States.

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Future of space travel: What will it be like?

More than 60 years have passed since the first human space flight, but the future of space travel is still being written since only about 600 people have been in orbit so far. For most people willing to experience space travel, this wish remains an unattainable dream. But let’s remember that cars, planes, and trains, available to everyone today, seemed a fantasy once. So will space tourism ever be a reality? It already is. More than that, it has been around for 20 years. Orbital Today will shortly remind you of the story and try to look into the future of space travel.

How it all started

A 37-year-old American English and biology teacher Sharon McAuliffe could become the first space tourist, on winning the “Teacher in Space” competition in 1984. By that time, US astronauts had made 55 successful space flights, and their safe return to Earth had become commonplace. to increase public’s interest in the industry and demonstrate space flight reliability, NASA decided to send the first civilian into space. But it all ended in tragedy. On 28th January 1986, 73 seconds after launch, the Challenger’s fuel tank exploded, killing all seven crew members, including McAuliffe. The practice of sending amateurs into space has been abandoned for many years, and the space tourism future was put on hold.

The second attempt took place in April 2001. American businessman Dan Tito paid Space Adventures a whopping $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket to go to the ISS. The journey lasted ten days, eight of which Tito spent at the station in zero gravity at an altitude of 400km from the Earth in the company of professional astronauts. From 2002 to 2009, another 7 millionaires and billionaires followed his example, but after that, no one wanted to part with a significant sum for years.

The tipping point occurred in the summer of 2021 when private aerospace companies Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin sent their first tourists into space, and while these flights were suborbital, they still determined the future of space tourism trends.

Unlike the $20 million eight-day trip to the ISS, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson’s companies offer to spend only three minutes in zero gravity, but the fare is also way lower – $200,000. At the same time, Virgin VSS Unity flight takes 2.5 hours, and Blue Origin New Shepard’s – 11 minutes. This time difference is explained by different launch technologies. Virgin uses an air-launch system (similar to an aeroplane), while Blue Origin uses a classic vertical rocket launch. One thing these two have in common is that both offer to enjoy the view of Earth and starts from space, through panoramic windows from a height of more than 60km.

Virgin has made only one tourist launch so far, while Blue Origin carried out three. The pricing policy has fully justified itself. Seats in the suborbital shuttles of both companies are sold out several years in advance.

As the era of suborbital flights officially began, the interest in orbital flights rekindled. Unwilling to lag behind its main competitors, in September 2021, Space X hastened to launch the first Inspiration 4 orbital mission. The mission implied that four tourists stay on the Crew Dragon ship in orbit for three days. Following in Elon Musk’s footsteps, the Russian Soyuz MS 20 delivered Japanese billionaire Yusaka Maezawa and his assistant to the ISS. This marked an important milestone for space tourism in the future.

What is the future of space tourism?

A study by Northern Sky Research (NSR) analysts suggests that over the next 10 years, about 60,000 passengers will go into space, and the total income from space tourism will be about 20 billion US dollars. What will the future of space travel look like?

Suborbital transportation

Private companies will continue to improve suborbital flight technologies, reducing their cost and improving the quality. However, despite this, interest in suborbital tourism is unlikely to last long due to limited supply. The Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic spacecraft can carry a maximum of six people (including two Virgin pilots) and offer only three minutes in zero gravity. Besides, the ships do not cross the Karman line (100km), beyond which real space begins. However, there is hope.

Experts believe that future space travel technology will be able to replace long air flights. In 2020, SpaceX announced its Starship rocket currently in development will be able to take up to 100 passengers on board and deliver them from one continent to another in less than an hour. More specifically, a 15-hour flight to Shanghai from New York on Starship will take only 40 minutes. If Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic follow the same path, while providing adequate service costs, the demand for suborbital flights will grow steadily.

Orbital vacation

As more companies consider space tourism, orbital vacations will become one of the future space tourism trends. Orbital infrastructure for recreation, including hotels in orbit and on the moon, could become profitable. Interest in the ISS in this regard is already reemerging. In addition, Orion Span and Blue Origin are developing luxury space hotel concepts called Aurora Station and Orbital Reef . Of course, vacations in space are still far away, but many tourists can already visit space themed hotels on Earth. The best of them are located in China, the USA, Canada, and Switzerland.

Will space tourism ever be affordable?

No doubt, only multi millionaires can afford such trips today. Paying 200 thousand dollars for 3 minutes in weightlessness or 20 million for 8 days in space is not something everyone can easily afford. A century ago, ordinary people could hardly pay for a ticket across the Atlantic, and flying on planes was even more expensive. Today, such trips no longer surprise anyone. Once space tourism becomes mainstream, it will also have a positive impact on many socio-economic processes on Earth: job creation, development of new energy infrastructure based on solar energy, etc. This will increase the scale of opportunity and innovation, boost competition, and ultimately make space travel available for ordinary citizens.

Is space tourism a good idea after all?

Every industry has positive and negative aspects, and space travel is no exception. Despite the prospects and benefits, this industry calls for careful risk assessment. Let’s take a look at the main facts about future space travel.

1. High expenses

Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights require huge investments in infrastructure and technology that are not paying off at this stage. How much does it cost for space tourism? It is difficult to say, but the costs are in the tens of billions. In fact, these are very expensive toys of billionaires. Of course, they can afford such a luxury at the expense of other, highly profitable businesses, but imagine if this money was spent on more pressing issues, i.e., fighting poverty, hunger, medicine, etc.

2. Passenger health

While astronauts take years to prepare for flights, private individuals will fly with minimal instruction. However, heavy workloads and zero-gravity conditions greatly affect health. According to a recent study involving British astronaut Tim Peake , space travel causes more than a third of astronauts to experience temporary anemia due to the destruction of large numbers of red blood cells. While astronauts remain in a state of weightlessness, this does not cause any problems, but the symptoms appear on Earth, under the influence of gravity. This threatens not only the development of space tourism but also the idea of ​​colonising planets since it creates an increased risk for passengers experiencing conditions exacerbated by anemia. Here, we are, first of all, talking about cardiovascular pathologies, which, according to WHO, top the list of common diseases. In other words, you need to be not only rich but absolutely healthy to fly into space. The combination of these factors significantly reduces the number of potential space tourism customers.

3. Environmental impact

A rocket burns hundreds of tons of fuel to overcome the Earth’s gravity and leave the atmosphere. Of course, humanity is inventing ever-more environmentally friendly fuels, but emissions in the upper atmosphere still destroy the ozone layer and provoke global warming. And although the level of emissions from rockets is less than 1% compared with cars, the development of space tourism will inevitably lead to a significant increase in the number of rocket launches, which means an increase in environmental impact risk.

In addition, emissions are not the only problem with a rocket launch . While technology does not yet allow a full transition to a reusable rocket, there remains a high risk of an uncontrolled fall of the first stages to Earth, spills and fuel leaks during transportation, which inevitably destroys the environment.

And yet, despite all cons, the future of space exploration looks quite promising. Rapid technology development can no longer be stopped. In another 5-10 years, getting from London to Sydney by a rocket in half an hour or spending a vacation in orbit could become as commonplace as ordering a taxi or a hotel room today.

Emma joined the team in 2020 as an Editorial Assistant. She is currently on an internship with us while going through her further education. She is enthusiastic about Science and about Space in particular.

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Do You Think You Will Ever Travel to Space?

A SpaceX rocket launched the first all-civilian crew into orbit. Do you think spaceflight will one day become as ordinary as air travel?

By Jeremy Engle

There’s a new space race!

This time it’s not a race to the moon, but to see who will dominate a future space tourism industry. It’s a competition not between nations (as it was in the 1950s and ’60s) but largely between billionaire entrepreneurs and private spaceflight companies.

This summer, the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the British entrepreneur Richard Branson both flew to space in rockets designed by their companies, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic — although each flight was less than 11 minutes.

Then, on Sept. 15, a rocket launched by SpaceX, the company founded by the billionaire Elon Musk, carried the first all-civilian crew on an adventure to orbit the Earth for three days.

Have you been following the recent spaceflights? Are you excited by renewed interest in space travel? Is the new era of space exploration good for humanity? Do you think spaceflight will one day become as ordinary as air travel?

In “ SpaceX Launches Astronaut Crew Like No Other on Orbital Adventure ,” Kenneth Chang writes about the historic all-civilian flight:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A SpaceX rocket lifted off on Wednesday night from a launchpad here, carrying four Americans on an adventure to orbit the Earth for three days that will be like no other. None of the crew works for NASA. The mission, known as Inspiration4 , is the first orbital trip where not one of the people aboard is a professional astronaut and where government is, by and large, a bystander and observer. The evening sky was nearly devoid of clouds when the nine engines of the Falcon 9 rocket ignited, lifting the rocket and its passengers to space. Jared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire and founder of Shift4, a payments processing service, financed the trip. As the mission’s commander, he thanked those who made it possible, and said that it had brought him and the crew, to the “door step of an exciting and unexplored frontier.” Mr. Isaacman’s public profile is far less prominent than that of Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos, two billionaires who flew to the edge of space in July in vehicles operated by companies they own. Those trips lasted just minutes before returning to the ground. But Mr. Isaacman’s three-day adventure is perhaps more noteworthy, a step toward a future where space travel might be like airline travel today — accessible by almost everyone. That is because Mr. Isaacman decided not to just bring along his friends on this trip to space. Instead, he opened opportunities to three people he did not know. “We set out from the start to deliver a very inspiring message,” Mr. Isaacman said during a news conference on Tuesday, “and chose to do that through an interesting crew selection process.” The result is a mission that carries a crew that is more representative of wider society — Hayley Arceneaux, a 29-year-old physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis; Sian Proctor, a 51-year-old community college professor who would be the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft; and Christopher Sembroski, a 42-year-old data engineer. Mr. Isaacman has declined to say how much he is paying for this orbital trip, only that it was less than the $200 million that he hopes to raise for St. Jude with an accompanying fund-raising drive, one of the stated purposes of the trip.

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Life in 2050: A Glimpse at Space in the Future – Part I

By 2050, commercial space travel, space tourism, orbital space stations, and lunar habitats are likely to become a reality. and that’s not all..

Matthew S. Williams

Gateway Foundation

Welcome back to our “Life in 2050” series. Our previous installments explored how the world of warfare , economics , and life at home  could drastically change by mid-century. For our fourth installment, we will be taking a look at what will be happening beyond Earth. This will include everything from Earth orbit to the very edge of the solar system… and beyond.

In the next three decades, human beings will enter the realm of space like never before. This is due in part to the way that public interest in space exploration has been revitalized, thanks to a number of exciting missions that have been mounted since the turn of the century and growing public engagement through social media. 

There’s also the way the commercial space sector (aka. NewSpace) has been growing by leaps and bounds. By leveraging new technologies and methods, various commercial entities have been reducing the costs of launching payloads to space. From this, they are providing less-expensive launch services and are even working towards offering flights to space.

Another major factor is the way that more national space agencies have become involved in the exploration of space. It’s no longer a race between two superpowers but a much more cooperative endeavor involving six major participants – the US, the European Union, Russia, China, Japan, and India – along with commercial partners and many smaller agencies.

By mid-century, things will progress further. More nations will join the “space club,” more space agencies will send astronauts to space, including to the Moon, and crewed missions to Mars will take place. Commercial entities will establish a permanent presence and will pursue many new kinds of space-related ventures.

Between now and 2050, Earth’s orbital lanes will become a lot more crowded as the region known as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is further commercialized. A lot of this crowding will be from the constellations of CubeSats, broadband internet, and telecommunication satellites that will launch between now and then.

According to the ESA’s Space Debris Office (SDO), about 4,000 functioning satellites are currently in orbit. At the current rate at which new satellites are being added (around  990 per year ), it’s expected there will be 15,000 in orbit by 2028. Accounting for the rate of increase as satellites become smaller and cheaper to launch, it’s possible the number of satellites could reach hundreds of thousands in the next few decades.

Similarly, estimates on the total value of the space industry by 2050 are difficult to predict. However, reports issued in 2017 by Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch  predict that the space industry will grow exponentially in the coming decades and reach a market value of $1.1 trillion by 2040 and almost $3 trillion by mid-century.

Between 1970 and 2000, the cost of launching payloads to space remained relatively steady. Using  NASA’s Space Shuttle , sending payloads to LEO cost around $25,000 per lb ($54,500 per kg). Today, it costs about $1,233 per lb ($2720 per kg) to send payloads to LEO using a Falcon 9 rocket, and $640 per lb ($1410 per kg) with a Falcon Heavy rocket – 20 to 40 times less.

As costs continue to plummet, space will become more accessible for both public and private organizations. This will also allow for the deployment of missions that were once considered too expensive, such as space-based solar power arrays. These satellites would gather solar energy 24/7 and beam it to ground stations using microwave arrays, providing cheap and abundant clean energy.

It’s also predicted that space habitats will become a normal feature in orbit by mid-century. Some are likely to be expandable space stations like the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). Expandable habitats are smaller and lighter (hence, cheaper) to send to space, while the modular design allows for scalability – i.e., internal volume can be increased by adding more modules.

According to the 2019 SpaceWorks market forecast (9 th ed.), crewed space stations could be worth as much as $50B between 2030 and 2050 . There’s also the burgeoning industry of space tourism, which is projected to grow considerably in the next few decades. In this case, commercial launch providers will conduct suborbital or orbital flights for paying customers.

Some examples include SpaceX, which hopes to provide commercial transportation using their Starship launch vehicle for intercontinental flights. Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic have spent over a decade developing the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane to fly passengers to space. Branson has also expressed interest in providing flights to orbit in the coming years – specifically to the ISS .

Blue Origin is also offering flights to suborbital altitudes in the near future, using the reusable New Shepard rocket. Once the New Glenn rocket is up and running, these services are likely to extend all the way to orbit. There have even been hints and intimations that flights to the Moon will be possible in the coming decades (more on that below).

Spaceplanes are also destined to become a common feature, used for both suborbital flights and flights to space. Examples today include Sierra Nevada Corp’s Dream Chaser , the X-37B autonomous spaceplane, and the Reusable Experimental Spacecraft (Shǐyòng Shìyàn Hángtiān Qì) – China’s answer to the X-37B.

In due course, China’s Shenlong reusable robotic spaceplane will be added to the mix, as will the Skylon spaceplane currently being developed by Reaction Engines in the UK. These vehicles will provide cost-effective launch services for small payloads to orbit, as well as commercial crew missions to orbiting stations and habitats.

Gateways to space

Barring any further extensions, the International Space Station (ISS) is due to retire around 2024. Given the immense benefits that the ISS has provided during its many decades of service, it won’ t be long before this vacuum is filled. China launched the first module of its Tiangong Space Station (Tiangong-3) in April of 2021, which will be followed by two more next year.

Russia also has plans to build its own space station  after 2024, incumbent upon its exit from the ISS Program. According to a statement issued on April 12 th , 2021, to mark the 60 th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight, Russia would be pursuing a new space strategy over the next decade (2025-2035).

Shortly thereafter, Dmitry Rogozin – Chief of the Russian space agency (Roscosmos) – stated that “[t]he first core module of the new Russian orbital station is in the works.” Other details included that it was Russian space corporation Energia that was building the module and that it would be “ready for launch” by 2025.

By 2050, these stations are likely to have long-since retired and served as the stepping stones towards larger and more advanced stations. Some notable features, which will help ensure humanity’s long-term presence in orbit, will include rotating pinwheel designs, 3D printers, refueling stations, and autonomous robotic arms (for docking and departure).

To get a sneak-peak of what these stations would look like, consider NASA’s Nautilus-X rotating torus concept. Presently, NASA is still investigating the possibility of attaching a torus to the ISS to validate the effectiveness of simulated gravity. Similar torii could be integrated into spaceships for the sake of ensuring astronaut health during long-duration flights.

There is also the Gateway Foundation ‘s proposal for a commercial pinwheel station in orbit that would facilitate the commercialization of LEO and crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. The design of the Gateway calls for an inner and outer torus section, the innermost simulated lunar gravity (0.165 g), and the outermost simulating Martian gravity (0.38 g ).

To realize the construction of this space station, the Gateway Foundation established the Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC) – the world’s first large-scale orbital construction company. In the coming years, they will be joined by many other ventures, all of which are sure to rely on 3D printing and robotic assemblers in orbit to build facilities rapidly and cheaply.

By 2050, multiple pinwheel space stations – or other concepts that use rotating sections to simulate gravity – could exist in Earth orbit. These stations will serve as gateways, allowing for regular trips to the Moon and other locations in deep space.

To the Moon (to stay)

By 2024, NASA intends to send the “first woman and next man” to the Moon as part of the Artemis Program . Beyond this, NASA plans to deploy key pieces of infrastructure that will allow for a “sustained program of lunar exploration.” In short, NASA plans to go beyond “footprints and flags” (the Apollo Program) with Artemis and establish a permanent human presence on the Moon.

The first missions in the program – Artemis I (Nov. 4th, 2021) and Artemis II (Aug 2023) – will consist of two circumlunar flights (one uncrewed and one crewed) designed to test the SLS and Orio n. Artemis III, the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since 1972, will follow in October of 2024 using a Human Landing System (HLS) developed by SpaceX (subject to legal challenge).

Also scheduled for 2024 is the launch of the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), which are the core elements of the Lunar Gateway . Paired with a reusable lunar lander, this orbital habitat will allow for long-duration missions to the lunar surface.

Between 2024 and 2030, NASA plans to mount six more missions (Artemis IV through IX) that will add elements to the Gateway. This will include the International Habitation Module (I-HAB), the European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT), and possibly more.

Similarly, NASA is planning on constructing a facility in the Moon’s South-Pole Aitken Basin to enable long-term missions – the Artemis Base Camp . Similar plans have been proposed by the European Space Agency (ESA), which has been talking about creating an International Moon Village in the same region for years.

This base would act as a spiritual successor to the ISS and would have rotating crews of astronauts from all participant agencies – like the ESA, NASA, JAXA, and possibly China and Russia. Meanwhile, Russia and China recently announced that they would be partnering to create their own lunar station to rival NASA’s facilities.

Known as the International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS), this lunar base could constitute an orbital habitat (like the Gateway) or a surface base. According to a statement issued (in Mandarin) by the China National Space Administration (CNSA):

“The ILRS is a comprehensive scientific experiment base with the capability of long-term autonomous operation, built on the lunar surface and/or [in] lunar orbit that will carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities such as lunar exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation, basic scientific experiments, and technical verification.”

Several commercial space companies have been contracted to send payloads to the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). Beyond that, there are a number of companies that are looking to conduct their own lunar missions. This includes SpaceX, which plans on using the Starship to fly a crew of artists around the Moon in 2023 – the #dearMoon  project. 

In 2016, Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos indicated that his company would develop a heavy-launch rocket for lunar missions – the New Armstrong . Blue Origin is also developing a lunar lander known as Blue Moon , which would be capable of sending cargo and crews to the Moon.

Using these systems, Musk and Bezos hope to offer launch and transportation services to the Moon. Both men have also indicated that lunar facilities would be a “ logical next step for humanity ” as well. While the timelines on this are not yet clear, both intend to take major steps during this decade and the next.

By 2050, it is entirely possible that these efforts will have given rise to a thriving “lunar tourism” industry. This could take the form of week-long travel packages that people would book in advance, staying in company facilities on the surface, and conducting “moonwalks” before returning home.

While only the super-wealthy will be able to afford these services initially, the associated costs will decline over time as lunar tourism became an established industry. As Robert A. Heinlein famously put it in  The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress , “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” (aka. “TANSTAAFL!”).

Another commercial lunar activity that is expected to become a reality is lunar mining. Human exploration in the near future will be responsible for scouting out resources, which include water ice, minerals, and Helium-3 for fuel. As a consequence, the exploitation of lunar resources could become a major commercial venture and export market.

In accordance with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, any and all bodies in space are to remain free of any national appropriation of sovereignty. This means that no one can lay claim to land on the Moon or in space, not as long as they are a state actor. However, the treaty does not specifically forbid private companies from laying claim to bodies or any resources extracted. The “Moon Agreement,” which was ratified in 1984,  provides that the Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of “mankind” and that an international regime should be established to govern the exploitation of such resources when such exploitation is about to become feasible.

While the legality of lunar mining has always been unclear and controversial, the issue was simplified somewhat in 2015 with the signing of the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act into law. This was followed by the executive order signed by President Trump in April of 2020 , which legalized prospecting and harvesting resources from space.

Industry in Earth-Moon space

The legalities of lunar mining raise another controversial subject, which is the near-future possibility of asteroid mining. In accordance with the Outer Space Treaty, asteroids are also exempt from national appropriation. But in recent years, many companies have emerged with the intent of prospecting Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and extracting resources from them.

Asteroids designated as NEAs are those whose orbits bring them within 1.3 Astronomical Units (AU) – or 120.8 million miles (194.4 million km) – of Earth. The majority of these objects originated in the Main Asteroid Belt and were kicked out of their orbits either because of collisions with other asteroids or due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter.

These asteroids fall into one of three broad categories based on their composition. They are:

C-type (chondrite): the most common type of asteroid, composed largely of clay and silicate rocks. These asteroids are dark in appearance and are the most ancient objects in the Solar System.

S-type (“stony”): these asteroids are similar in composition to rocky planets, consisting of outer layers of silicate minerals and nickel-iron closer to the center.

The M-types (“metallic”): these asteroids are mainly made up of iron-nickel, which can become differentiated between a denser core and lighter outer layers. In some cases, they experience lava flows where molten metal erupts onto the surface.

As of September 2016, there are 711 known NEAs with an estimated value exceeding $100 trillion USD. Whereas critics have noted that these estimates fail to take into account the actual profit margins (value of ore minus the associated expenses), the situation has changed drastically in recent years.

Thanks to the declining cost of sending payloads and crews to space, we are nearing the point where asteroid mining would be profitable. When paired with a robust spacecraft-building and servicing industry in orbit, asteroid mining is likely to reach beyond profitability and become an extremely lucrative industry.

In time, the Earth-Moon system could also include a Space Elevator , an orbital space platform tethered to Earth’s surface and kept rigid through a counterweight and the planet’s rotation. Alternately, humanity may realize a Lunar Elevator, a similar structure tethered to the Moon and extending inward towards Earth (kept rigid by Earth’s gravity well).

For engineers, the stumbling block that has always made the concept sound in theory (but impossible to realize) has been the tether itself. Prior to the creation of carbon nanotubes and graphene, no known material was even close to having the tensile strength required. In time, further advances in materials science are likely to lead to a breakthrough in this area.

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One of the major benefits of a Space Elevator would be the way it drastically lowers the cost of sending payloads to space. According to The Spaceward Foundation , current space elevator proposals will be able to lift payloads to LEO at a starting cost of around $100 per lb ($220 per kg). With costs like that, it will be possible to commercialize the entire Earth-Moon system.

And that’s not all! Beyond Earth and the Moon, humanity will be taking some very big steps in the coming decades. With crewed missions to Mars, robotic missions to the outer solar system, next-generation space telescopes, and even the first interstellar missions, space will truly become the “final frontier” – and in more ways than one.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Matthew S. Williams Matthew S Williams is an author, a writer for Universe Today, and the curator of their Guide to Space section. His works include sci-fi/mystery The Cronian Incident and his articles have been featured in Phys.org, HeroX, Popular Mechanics, Business Insider, Gizmodo, and IO9, ScienceAlert, Knowridge Science Report, and Real Clear Science, with topics ranging from astronomy and Earth sciences to technological innovation and environmental issues. He is also a former educator and a 5th degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do instructor. He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and family.  

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Opinion | What will the future of space travel look like?…

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Opinion | What will the future of space travel look like? And what does it mean for this planet?

Start trek, star wars or even wall-e may hold clues but reality may not look like science fiction..

This dream is no longer out of this world

As a child, I remember spending late nights looking out of the window beside my bed, my warm breath fogging up the cold, reflective glass. I remember gazing wondrously at the sparkling stars above in the clear night sky, imagining that I was in a starship of my own. I remember imagining the loud hum of my house heater as the roar of my starship’s engines as I was taken into the immense expanses of the universe. I remember dreaming about stepping foot onto the ground of foreign planets and exploring their alien environments, finding myself gazing into their vast horizons. Little did my young self know that may very well be possible in the near future.

With the development of next-generation spacecraft and technology, my dream of setting foot onto an unfamiliar planet these days may not be so impossible. Of course, I don’t think we’d be setting foot on planets dozens of parsecs away anytime soon, but the future of space travel looks bright with SpaceX and NASA’s recent advancements in spacecraft.

More specifically, SpaceX’s recent developing spacecraft known as Starship has been in development for almost two decades and will reach orbit around Earth this year. This same spaceship is even capable of taking people to Mars on a planned mission in the future, as it can also refuel in orbit. These new developments in space technology, in my opinion, make space travel much more practical.

From what I think, at least, space travel may even one day enter the commercial field. Imagine this: You set foot into the cozy cabin of a starship after scanning your ticket, pulling your luggage inside and sighing as the air-conditioned cabin cools you down. After making your way farther into the cabin of the spaceship, you finally locate your seat beside a window. You place your luggage into the overhead bin and plop yourself onto the soft cushions of the seat, sighing as you look out the window and gaze into the vast expanse of the solar system and beyond. As you tune out the voices of nearby passengers and blend them into the peaceful lull of the spacecraft’s engine, you observe the bright Moon in the distance. Maybe space travel for common people like you and me won’t be so impractical soon!

Arthur Nguyen, Mira Mesa

Not getting much bang for our bucks

In the 1960s, I was an Apollo engineer at Cape Kennedy. We were going to land on the moon because President John F. Kennedy vaguely said it was a good idea. The money flowed freely. Some 50 years later, my grandson asked me why we went there. I was one of the people who worked to achieve that goal, and I could not find a good answer as to why.

I attended meetings at the cape in which the word was out — no questions permitted as to why, only discussions allowed as to how. It became clear — the corporations, the universities, the engineers — everyone wanted to share in the dollars. We brought back lots of moon rock samples to analyze. Still available to look at in Houston. More rocks would not be very useful.

The Challenger explosion in 1986 should remind us of how dangerous it is to try again to go back. The old phrase “Been there, done that” is more than a cliché. It is also a warning.

Fred Zarse, Alpine

We should not fear the new frontier

Whenever humankind discovers a new technology, it’s common for people to be afraid. Before modern science, when a woman liked to study botany or holistic practices, society might accuse her of witchcraft and put her on trial to be burned at the stake. Edgar Allan Poe wrote about his fear of modern technology and the future. At one point, reading books was criticized and considered strange.

Later, when the internet was invented, there was a lot of resistance. Older people used to be so out of touch, but now if you walk through an elderly facility, you’ll see dozens of older people scrolling through the internet. My grandmother would stay up late into the night asking Siri questions about her childhood and past presidents. It was adorable.

People don’t like to change. Although it can be scary to try new things, that’s why we have so many wonderful inventions around the world. Who would have imagined that by studying genetics eventually scientists would be able to grow new hearts, livers and other organs for sick patients? (Although it’s still a new science). Who would have imagined the prospect of growing our meat products in a lab instead of farming animals? The idea of space exploration is the same as all the other discoveries we’ve made.

The unknown is scary, but it’s also promising. Just as you never know what harm it could bring, you never know what good it could bring either. Therefore, I say, bring on the unknown!

Cassidy Eiler, El Cajon

We must first save the planet we have

Matthew McConaughey redeemed himself on Super Bowl Sunday. In contrast with his suave Lincoln promotions, he turned out for Salesforce’s “Team Earth” in a Super Bowl ad aimed at workers who would be happy for a benign commute on terra firma — honest Earthlings with no ambitions of being Joe the Plumber-turned-astronaut. It was refreshing.

In the last year, if we weren’t reeling enough from the pretentious Donald Trump years and callous disregard for workers on the front lines of a pandemic, we were treated to the spectacle of billionaires flexing their intrepid astronaut wings, boldly bragging and spinning where none could have dreamed to do so before.

Some were honest not to dress it up as science, rather as a new consumer experience. Sir Richard Branson literally took a pen and pad to take notes on how to improve the guest experience. I suppose that merits a tax write off? Jeff Bezos won the feel-good moment by sponsoring our beloved Captain Kirk’s initiation to actual space. Well played. Elon Musk surprised us by deferring his own travel in favor of sending a geologist along with a paying guest. That might offer a momentary counterbalance to his Scarlet A (arrogance), but it is hard to square his sustainability initiatives with this suspected objective to take his toys and slip the surly bonds of earth.

I can’t sort out if he lacks confidence that humanity will solve the climate action imperative (and he would need a Planet B) or if he thinks his efforts will succeed so stunningly that his space exploits and all the carbon emissions and resource diversion they require will be a harmless investment?

Since none of these billionaires has shown how space travel could be affordable to the 99 percent, let alone environmentally benign, it feels a lot like our billionaire astronauts aren’t content to simply squander Earth’s resources for their own thrill rides They want adulation as well, as though Joe the Plumber now aspires to be a millionaire Martian, and dreaming will make it so.

Mothers like me watched NASA’s missions as kids — Apollo missions, in my case. We have it in us to dream of new frontiers, and we want our children to carry forward and explore. SpaceX has helped this continue. But there is a clear and urgent threat we are facing now that makes our planetary explorations take a back seat to species health and sustenance. Further, even if we imagine earning a golden ticket, what kind of humans would emigrate from a populous planet in crisis without focusing their best efforts at saving it for all?

Resources are finite. Our atmospheric carbon budget is non-negotiable. Carbon capture and sequestration, if it ever works out, will be a bandage, not a cure. We must not allow the 1 percent to delude the 99 percent on this. There is no Planet B for any of us, and certainly not the working class. I’m fighting for Team Earth!

Darlene Garvais, Sabre Springs

Nothing close is really worth traveling to

The future of space flight will be the same as it is today: scientific robotic exploration and limited commercial missions, such as communication satellites. Meanwhile, the future of space travel for humans will still be a fantasy. These are just a few reasons why.

With current technology, the energy required to launch an Atlas D rocket into space with one person aboard could fuel some 3,000 cars. Basically, a person is sitting on top of high explosives, traveling hundreds of miles per hour into the massive debris field that shrouds the planet to be exposed to high levels of radiation. Despite the buy-in from various billionaire space moguls, getting people into space is expensive. While it’s still murky what a commercial flight will cost, a ride in a Soyuz capsule was $20 million or more per seat. So space travel remains an impractical, dangerous and expensive proposition.

There is one other reason why human space flight is a fantasy. In 1969, I watched reruns of “Star Trek” with its rich tapestry of star bases and Class M worlds to explore. I had a scrapbook of news clippings of the NASA moon landing. Using the logic of a 7-year-old, the next step was for us to establish space stations and bases on the moon, Mars and other planets. Which presents the real problem with human space travel: There is nowhere for us to go.

Mike Stewart, Spring Valley

Too soon to tell what the future will hold

Space. The final frontier, or so they say. Many of us may have dreamt of being astronauts when we grew up one day, and some of us probably did. I frankly did not. But, I am always interested in hearing more about what the future of Space exploration holds, what was discovered, and simply looking at pictures of distant galaxies. When SpaceX came out saying they are developing a craft that could possibly take people to the moon or Mars, it was pretty exciting knowing what we may discover in the future.

I always used to say that I would go to the moon when I grew up, and I was going to find other life on planets we had yet to set foot on. First of all, training to go to space is significantly gruesome having to prepare your body for the mission. Secondly it is extremely expensive to get all the equipment needed, and faculty to ensure everything runs smoothly. That is not to mention all the debris that is left behind in Earth’s orbit which is no longer of use to anyone. This was one of the main problems of space exploration before. The amount of money used to just no longer be of use to anyone and remain in Earth’s orbit.

This is where the engineers at SpaceX revolutionized space travel. They finally achieved the ability to reuse what was once considered space junk, by returning stage one of the spacecraft back to the place of launch. This has opened new possibilities in terms of space as a whole. I am no scientist, but being able to consistently reuse the thruster of a spacecraft seems as if you would be able to send more spacecraft into or out of orbit within a much smaller time frame, and possibly even cost less in the long run.

If these rockets were to be mass produced and widely used, traveling to space would not take as long, and the price for someone to go into space should be lower as time goes on. We would not only be able to run more test experiments in space, but scientists would also be able to gather more information much more efficiently as well. I imagine a high end production line of scientist and groups waiting their turn to board the reusable rocket, or mounting their telescopes on other stages to explore the great unknown. It will all eventually trickle down to spacecraft becoming similar to airfare, where people will be boarding to fly to a colony on mars or the moon for a small getaway.

This is a long process ahead of scientist and engineers, yet it is one that could change our way of life, and possibly lead to the evolution of mankind. Who knows, by that time we could be boarding our own Millennium Falcon or X-Wings that can take us into hyperdrive to other galaxies, and our current methods of transportation would become obsolete.

Daniel Martinez, San Ysidro

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The new space race

Competition between the USA, China and Russia will have consequences for all of us here on Earth. But how is this 21st century space race different to the last one?

The next 50 years of space exploration will change the face of global politics.

Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much as mountains, rivers and seas have on Earth.

In his new book, The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World , author Tim Marshall lays bare the geopolitical realities to show how we got here and where we’re going.

Below, Tim talks us through the new space race, introducing the key players and their goals, the tensions already being exposed, and what needs to change in order to foster collaboration instead of conflict.

What is the new space race?

Space is now, more than ever, becoming an extension of the geography of Earth: humans are taking our nation states, our corporations, our history, politics and conflicts way up above us.  

The Cold War space race was all about getting up and out; now we’re claiming what’s there. And as more countries become spacefaring nations, history suggests there will be competition and cooperation along the way.

Space has already changed much in our everyday lives. It is central to communication, economics and military strategy, and increasingly important to international relations. That will inevitably mean ‘spheres of influence’ and even claims on territory as the rivalries, alliances and conflicts on Earth spill out into space.

But what we’ve failed to establish so far is a set of universally agreed-upon rules to regulate this competition; without laws governing human activity in space, the stage is set for disagreements on an astronomical level.

What has caused the new space race, and what is different to the last one? 

The costs of space travel have come down. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its reusable rockets are partially behind this, as is the miniaturisation of satellites. This makes it cheaper to send the machines up, and you can deploy several at the same time.

However, the signs that space is going to be a huge geopolitical narrative of the 21st century have been accumulating for some time.  

In recent years, rare metals and water have been found on the Moon; private companies have massively lowered the cost of breaking through the atmosphere; and the big powers have fired missiles from Earth, blowing up their own satellites to test new weapons. All of these events have been pieces of the bigger story emerging.  

Image: Starbomb by Brandon Yoshizawa | shortlisted in  Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021

Which nations are involved in the new space race? 

The USA, China and Russia are the clear front-runners, but the race is very different this time.

More than 80 countries now have a presence in space. Some people might be surprised to learn that the United Arab Emirates has sent a probe to Mars, and that Israel has (crash) landed on the Moon.

The rest of the nations know they can’t compete with the Big Three, but they still want to have a say in what goes up and what comes down; they are assessing their options and aligning into ‘space blocs’.

What role do private companies play in space exploration? 

Government funding is still the biggest source of revenue for the Big Three, as it is for the European Space Agency. However, investment from private enterprise is growing rapidly. 

For example, a decade ago in the USA the private sector was spending about $1 billion a year on research and development. Now it’s between $5 billion and $6 billion.  

Private enterprise is part of the 21st century space race and all three players have big commercial companies involved. Commercial companies have seen that while the risks are great, the potential profits are enormous. 

What are the goals of the new space race?  

Challenges will be taken on for various reasons – prestige, commercial and strategic. 

For example, there are numerous objectives behind the return to the Moon via the Artemis missions , and the proposed Moon Bases the USA and China/Russia intend to build. Using the Moon as a launch pad for going to Mars is one goal and mining the Moon for resources is another.

Recently, evidence has been found for deposits of metal oxides in some of the large craters of the Moon. It’s also believed the Moon contains reserves of silicon, titanium, rare earth metals and aluminium.  

Humanity is destined to spend more time there, digging beneath the surface in pursuit of these metals, which are used in vital modern technologies. Many countries have the incentive to go after them, especially those that don’t want to rely on China, which currently holds a third of the world’s known reserves. 

Countries are also after helium-3. Theoretically, helium-3 can be used to create nuclear fusion – the Holy Grail of energy production – as it would produce higher amounts of energy than nuclear fission but is much less radioactive. On Earth only about 0.0001 per cent of helium is helium-3, but on the Moon there may be a million tonnes of the stuff.     Ouyang Ziyuan, China’s distinguished Chief Scientist in its Lunar Exploration Program, believes that if helium-3’s power can be harnessed it will ‘solve humanity’s energy demand for around 10,000 years’. 

The space race in general also has a military aspect. As satellites become more integral to commerce and warfare on Earth, the more countries will feel the need to defend them and, in a few cases, have the ability to attack them. 

What are the implications of a country pushing ahead of the others? 

A successful colonization of the Moon will give a country, or an alliance, advantages similar to those enjoyed by maritime powers in previous ages.

A dominant power will be able to stymie the ambitions of others by occupying the territory and attempting to police it. Its satellites will enjoy a direct line of sight down to geostationary and low Earth orbit. Those who pave the way will set parameters others may be expected to follow.  

The first to establish themselves will be the first to access the potential wealth of the Moon and the ability to ship some of that wealth back home.

What tensions are most likely to occur in space? 

Tensions will more likely arise around attacking satellites. Part of countries’ early-warning systems of a nuclear launch are within their satellites. If a nation thought these machines were being threatened, the temptation to take pre-emptive action would increase. 

Without satellites, international communication networks and global positioning systems would not exist. Jam, spoof or destroy these satellites and your grocery delivery van can’t find you, the emergency services are lost, ships drift off course and a major industrialised economy such as the UK loses an estimated £1 billion a day. Their importance to modern life cannot be overstated and their function in the military is now key to modern warfare.

Image via Pexels.com

What could be achieved if countries collaborated in space? 

On a happier note, scientific experiments in the realm of space exploration will continue to result in breakthroughs that will help all of humanity. 

We have seen many examples of the benefits of cooperation. The ' handshake in space ' between Russian and American astronauts helped reduce Cold War tensions for example. 

Many of the space-related technologies being developed, in medicine and clean energy for example, will help us all. Several countries are working on ways to deflect huge asteroids , capable of destroying the world, off a collision course – and it doesn’t get more common property than that.   

The International Space System is another symbol of what can be achieved in space through cooperation. The partnerships involved helped foster good relations and advances in science.  

Sadly, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has broken that particular collaboration, and the tense relationship between the USA and China is part of why the near future of human space exploration will be dominated by competing power blocs. 

Tackling such problems would be easier if laws existed to encourage cooperation between the major spacefaring nations, particularly the USA and China. Expecting the world’s two greatest powers to put their differences aside is naive, but if they can accept them and see past their mutual suspicions, both would benefit enormously from exchanging scientific expertise, as would the rest of the planet.

How important is regulating the new space race? 

The idea that space is a global common is disappearing. The stakes are high. We need a new set of rules, and a better understanding of the space they govern. There are eight billion reasons why.  

Every human on Earth has a stake in a rules-based space order, and in global cooperation on cosmic issues. Without this we may end up fighting over the geography of space, just as we have done over the geography of Earth. 

About the author

The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World is available now from retailers including Waterstones and Amazon .

Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 30 years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that worked for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. He has reported from 40 countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. He is the author of the No. 1 Sunday Times bestsellers Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics and The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World. 

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IELTS Essay: Space Travel

by Dave | Real Past Tests | 7 Comments

This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of space travel from the real IELTS exam.

Please consider supporting my efforts to creative high quality IELTS materials for students around the world by signing up for my Patreon (and so you won’t miss out on any of my exclusive IELTS Ebooks)!

The first man to walk on the moon claimed it was a step forward for mankind. However, it has made little difference in most people’s lives.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There are many who feel that research into space exploration has not made sufficient impact in the average individual’s life to justify its expense. In my opinion, there are valid reasons to ask this question but overall the cultural and scientific effect is all-encompassing.

Those who decry the wasted resources directed towards space programs point out the lack of readily apparent benefits. Sending a man to the moon and maintaining expensive telescopes and space stations do nothing for the average person struggling to pay their bills and vulnerable to sudden economic downturns. Most may casually watch the moon landing or the occasional NASA video on YouTube but that is hardly justification for billions of dollars over decades that could have made a real difference if diverted towards medicine, education, infrastructure, and a vibrant employment sector.

Nonetheless, the effects pertain deeply to culture and science. Firstly, putting a man on the moon was a moment that transcends mundane utilitarian concerns. It not only was an exercise in the power and majesty of the human race but also inspired countless individuals across a wide variety of industries to push for great achievements and have pride in mankind. Secondly, the advances made while researching space have led to concrete, beneficial discoveries. For example, there are now satellites in space making possible phone calls and internet access nearly everywhere on Earth. Countless other large and small innovations from microchips to increased fuel efficiency are also to some degree indebted to the national funding of space exploration.

In conclusion, far from being a waste of valuable resources, space exploration has been the driving force behind the continued progress of humanity. It should therefore continue to receive support.

1. There are many who feel that research into space exploration has not made sufficient impact in the average individual’s life to justify its expense. 2. In my opinion, there are valid reasons to ask this question but overall the cultural and scientific effect is all-encompassing.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. Those who decry the wasted resources directed towards space programs point out the lack of readily apparent benefits. 2. Sending a man to the moon and maintaining expensive telescopes and space stations do nothing for the average person struggling to pay their bills and vulnerable to sudden economic downturns. 3. Most may casually watch the moon landing or the occasional NASA video on YouTube but that is hardly justification for billions of dollars over decades that could have made a real difference if diverted towards medicine, education, infrastructure, and a vibrant employment sector.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Develop the idea.
• Use specific examples. Aim for 4-5 sentences in a paragraph – not 3 like I did in this one…

1. Nonetheless, the effects pertain deeply to culture and science. 2. Firstly, putting a man on the moon was a moment that transcends mundane utilitarian concerns. 3. It not only was an exercise in the power and majesty of the human race but also inspired countless individuals across a wide variety of industries to push for great achievements and have pride in mankind. 4. Secondly, the advances made while researching space have led to concrete, beneficial discoveries. 5. For example, there are now satellites in space making possible phone calls and internet access nearly everywhere on Earth. 6. Countless other large and small innovations from microchips to increased fuel efficiency are also to some degree indebted to the national funding of space exploration.

• Write another topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain it.
• Develop it as fully as possible.
• If you have a second main idea, switch over to it.
• Develop that one with an example.
• Finish developing it fully.

1. In conclusion, far from being a waste of valuable resources, space exploration has been the driving force behind the continued progress of humanity. 2. It should therefore continue to receive support.

• Repeat your opinion and summarise your main ideas.
• Add a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean?

There are many who feel that research into space exploration has not made sufficient impact in the average individual’s life to justify its expense . In my opinion, there are valid reasons to ask this question but overall the cultural and scientific effect is all-encompassing .

Those who decry the wasted resources directed towards space programs point out the lack of readily apparent benefits . Sending a man to the moon and maintaining expensive telescopes and space stations do nothing for the average person struggling to pay their bills and vulnerable to sudden economic downturns . Most may casually watch the moon landing or the occasional NASA video on YouTube but that is hardly justification for billions of dollars over decades that could have made a real difference if diverted towards medicine , education , infrastructure , and a vibrant employment sector .

Nonetheless , the effects pertain deeply to culture and science. Firstly, putting a man on the moon was a moment that transcends mundane utilitarian concerns. It not only was an exercise in the power and majesty of the human race but also inspired countless individuals across a wide variety of industries to push for great achievements and have pride in mankind . Secondly, the advances made while researching space have led to concrete, beneficial discoveries . For example, there are now satellites in space making possible phone calls and internet access nearly everywhere on Earth. Countless other large and small innovations from microchips to increased fuel efficiency are also to some degree indebted to the national funding of space exploration .

In conclusion, far from being a waste of valuable resources , space exploration has been the driving force behind the continued progress of humanity. It should therefore continue to receive support .

space exploration going to other planets, space

sufficient impact enough of an effect

average individual’s life normal person’s day to day life

justify give reason for

expense money, time

valid reasons good justifications

overall in general

cultural related to culture, art, society

scientific effect impact on technology, science

all-encompassing touches all

decry are critical of

wasted resources not well used

directed towards given to

space programs funding for space research

point out argue

lack don’t have

readily apparent benefits obvious advantages

maintaining expensive telescopes keeping up equipment

space stations places in space to do research

struggling to pay their bills having a tough time affording

vulnerable weak

sudden economic downturns the economy getting worse

casually without much care

moon landing getting to the moon

NASA American space agency

hardly justification not enough to give reason for

decades many years

real difference actual impact

diverted towards sent to

medicine health

education schools

infrastructure roads, buildings, etc.

a vibrant employment sector good jobs for everyone

nonetheless regardless

pertain deeply have a lot to do with

moment achievement

transcends mundane utilitarian goes beyond what is useful

exercise show

majesty power/beauty

human race mankind

inspired countless individuals encouraged many people

across a wide variety of industries in many fields

pride self-esteem

mankind humanity

advances progress

concrete real

beneficial discoveries advantageous innovations

satellites things in space that help our phones

making possible allowing for

nearly almost

countless unlimited

innovations new ideas

microchips small computer chips

increased fuel efficiency using fuel better

to some degree indebted at least a little because of

national funding countries giving money

space exploration going out into space

far from being definitely not

valuable resources important money, time, etc.

driving force behind main push behind

continued progress keep getting better

receive support get money

Pronunciation

speɪs ˌɛksplɔːˈreɪʃən   səˈfɪʃənt ˈɪmpækt   ˈævərɪʤ ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlz laɪf   ˈʤʌstɪfaɪ   ɪksˈpɛns ˈvælɪd ˈriːznz   ˈəʊvərɔːl   ˈkʌlʧərəl   ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ɪˈfɛkt   ɔːl-ɪnˈkʌmpəsɪŋ dɪˈkraɪ   ˈweɪstɪd rɪˈsɔːsɪz   dɪˈrɛktɪd təˈwɔːdz   speɪs ˈprəʊgræmz   pɔɪnt aʊt   læk   ˈrɛdɪli əˈpærənt ˈbɛnɪfɪts meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ ɪksˈpɛnsɪv ˈtɛlɪskəʊps   speɪs ˈsteɪʃənz   ˈstrʌglɪŋ tuː peɪ ðeə bɪlz   ˈvʌlnərəbl   ˈsʌdn ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈdaʊntɜːnz ˈkæʒjʊəli   muːn ˈlændɪŋ   ˈnæsə   ˈhɑːdli ˌʤʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən   ˈdɛkeɪdz   rɪəl ˈdɪfrəns   daɪˈvɜːtɪd təˈwɔːdz   ˈmɛdsɪn ˌɛdju(ː)ˈkeɪʃən ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧə ə ˈvaɪbrənt ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ˈsɛktə ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs pɜːˈteɪn ˈdiːpli   ˈməʊmənt   trænˈsɛndz ˈmʌndeɪn ˌjuːtɪlɪˈteərɪən   ˈɛksəsaɪz   ˈmæʤɪsti   ˈhjuːmən reɪs   ɪnˈspaɪəd ˈkaʊntlɪs ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlz   əˈkrɒs ə waɪd vəˈraɪəti ɒv ˈɪndəstriz   pʊʃ  praɪd   mænˈkaɪnd ədˈvɑːnsɪz   ˈkɒnkriːt ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃəl dɪsˈkʌvəriz ˈsætəlaɪts   ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈpɒsəbl   ˈnɪəli   ˈkaʊntlɪs   ˌɪnəʊˈveɪʃənz   ˈmaɪkrəʊˌʧɪps   ɪnˈkriːst fjʊəl ɪˈfɪʃənsi   tuː sʌm dɪˈgriː ɪnˈdɛtɪd   ˈnæʃənl ˈfʌndɪŋ   speɪs ˌɛksplɔːˈreɪʃən fɑː frɒm ˈbiːɪŋ   ˈvæljʊəbl rɪˈsɔːsɪz ˈdraɪvɪŋ fɔːs bɪˈhaɪnd   kənˈtɪnju(ː)d ˈprəʊgrəs   rɪˈsiːv səˈpɔːt

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

There are many who feel that research into s_________________n has not made s_______________t in the a__________________e to j_______y its e_______e . In my opinion, there are v____________s to ask this question but o________l the c__________l and s______________t is a___________________g .

Those who d_______y the w_________________s d__________________s s_________________s p_____________t the l_____k of r______________________________s . Sending a man to the moon and m_____________________________s and s______________s do nothing for the average person s__________________________s and v_______________e to s____________________________s . Most may c______________y watch the m_________________g or the occasional N______A video on YouTube but that is h___________________n for billions of dollars over d_____________s that could have made a r_______________e if d_________________s m__________e , e___________n , i_________________e , and a___________________________r .

N______________s , the effects p_______________y to culture and science. Firstly, putting a man on the moon was a m____________t that t__________________________________n concerns. It not only was an e____________e in the power and m__________y of the h_____________e but also i________________________s a____________________________s to p____h for great achievements and have p_____e in m_________d . Secondly, the a_____________s made while researching space have led to c__________e, b____________________s . For example, there are now s_____________s in space m_____________________e phone calls and internet access n________y everywhere on Earth. C___________s other large and small i____________________s from m__________________s to i__________________________y are also t_______________________________d to the n_____________________g of s__________________n .

In conclusion, f_____________________g a waste of v________________________s , space exploration has been the d_______________________d the c________________________s of humanity. It should therefore continue to r___________________t .

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities :

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://www.wired.com/story/space-exploration-and-the-age-of-the-anthropocosmos/

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

Stars/Space

• Do people in your country often look at the stars?
• Why is it important to explore space?
• How can learning about space impact the daily lives of people?
• Will we find life on other planets?
• When will humans live on other planets?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:

In the future, people may have to live on other planets. Some think that it is therefore important to spend money researching other planets such as Mars.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Researching Other Planets (Real Past IELTS Exam)

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Appropirate use of vocabulary and ideas

Thanks – I try!

Neil Armstrong was celebrated globally when he first journeyed to the moon, but despite the pride he brought to the world, to claim that it was a giant leap forward for mankind was a statement that did not hold true to this day. It had little value in the general populace because the exploration of the moon did not result in ground-breaking innovations that would better people’s lives.

Firstly, recent years have shown that there is nothing more to unearth on the moon. Although moon exploration might have helped researchers to study space technology, nothing extraordinary has been discovered to encourage pursuing the same undertaking. As a matter of fact, a report from New York Times in March 2020 found that scientists and astronauts could be doing more harm than good when they leave footprints and debris on the moon’s surface that could potentially disrupt its natural balance. 

Perhaps the most significant reason why we doubt its value is largely based on the money spent on this journey. It takes millions of dollars to send someone to space, and this money could be otherwise spent on more important things that would actually matter such as health care and education. At the same time, the International Space Station already gives researchers a glance of the moon so they can remotely make studies in the comfort of their offices, eliminating the need to travel to the moon.

In conclusion, while the first step on the moon left a mark on history and can be viewed as a scientific success, this has not resulted in life-changing innovations that would prove its worth. Therefore, governments should focus their attention, and more importantly the funds where it is most needed. 

Nice job, Chris!

Thaku ☺Really helpful.

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The future of space tourism: op-ed

Dylan Taylor is a global entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who acts as the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings and the founder of Space for Humanity , a nonprofit organization that seeks to democratize space exploration. He has also served as an active advocate and philanthropist in the space manufacturing industry and a strategic advisor for the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program while also acting as the co-founding patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. He contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Opinions and Insights .

It's true that 2020 spawned a collective feeling of retreat coupled with a FOMO (fear of missing out) that inspires us to escape a chaotic world. For now, we have the silence of nature or an eventual trip abroad, but the future can provide a more adventurous escape: one to the stars.

The NewSpace industry has its sights set on space tourism , a growing market expected to be worth at least $3 billion by 2030 . As companies like SpaceX test reusable rocket technology to make spaceflight more affordable and accessible for humans, other private firms, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are investing in suborbital space tourism to take Earthlings into the very edge of space and back. While only uber-wealthy passengers and private researchers will have access to space tourism in the immediate future, the long term holds promises for ordinary citizens.

The evolution of technology plays a vital role in sending more tourists to space and a few influential trends will determine the future of space tourism, along with the progress we make both on and off our home planet.

Related: Space tourists will face big risks, as private companies gear up for paid suborbital flights

Commercial suborbital trips

Suborbital travel will likely be the space tourism subsector to materialize first, but it may also be the most short-lived. However, Blue Origin , backed by Jeff Bezos, is testing its New Shepard system that will launch customers to the edge of space in a capsule which separates from a small rocket and retreats back to Earth under parachutes. Richard Branson's company Virgin Galactic relies on a space plane, dropped from a carrier aircraft, with a rocket motor that speeds up and takes passengers high into the atmosphere.

Both companies' shuttle systems are designed to fly passengers over 50 miles above Earth's atmosphere, allowing customers to experience the feeling of weightlessness for a few minutes. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will launch its next human spaceflight test on Dec. 11 as Blue Origin eyes early 2021.

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These brief spaceflights hold opportunities for tourism and scientific research and present unique experiences for space observation at varying trajectories and regulatory requirements. However, Axios reports concerns over declined public interest in suborbital tourism as a passing interest due to high costs and a short-lived ride. This may deflate the market as passengers await new developments in the field.

But there's some hope. Some experts look to commercial suborbital trips to take the place of long-distance air travel that can eventually cater to everyday citizens. SpaceX plans to use its Starship rocket to fly 100 people around the world in mere minutes. The company stated that a 15-hour flight to Shanghai from New York would be capable of flying in 39 minutes. According to UBS, if even only 5% of the average 150 million passengers that travel on 10 hour or longer flights pay $2,500 per trip, then returns could skyrocket to $20 billion per year in today's value.

A recent UBS report mentions, "Space tourism could be the stepping stone for the development of long-haul travel on earth serviced by space."

Related: Virgin Galactic wants to send people on superfast trips across Earth  

Orbital vacations

Orbital tourism, which entails remaining in space for at least one full orbit, is another major focus of governmental agencies and private space companies, all of which have the long-term goal to inhabit the moon and Mars. Projects from Boeing, SpaceX and Axiom Space plan to start launching tourists to the International Space Station on commercial spacecraft beginning as early as this year. SpaceX is also partnering with Space Adventures to send four tourists to low Earth orbit for a few days in late 2021 or early 2022.

As more companies consider in-space tourism, orbital vacations are set to become a popular trend. Orbital vacationing infrastructure, including orbital and lunar-based hotels, is positioned to become lucrative as space infrastructure companies already hauled in a combined $3.6 billion so far this year . 

Much of this infrastructure remains in preliminary stages, but the first approach may be to establish low-orbit hotels. One hotel design expects to send guests in a hydrogen-filled balloon with a pressurized capsule, utilizing Earth's gravity. Other options include designing or renovating an existing space station to accommodate guests. NASA, for instance, is opening up the International Space Station for commercial tourism . The Aurora Station , a planned luxury hotel that will host six guests for a $9.5 million, 12-day stay in low Earth orbit, will charge $9.5 million for the trip. It's pricey, but experts predict prices will fall like they did in the tech industry for computers and mobile phones.

A proposal for expandable space habitats may also serve as orbital hotels. Made of unique materials and easily stored at home, they are launched to space where they're inflated to true size. Bigelow Space invented the B330 , a space habitat that enlarges to form a hotel or living area for humans in space. As demand increases, they are interconnected to other inflatable habitats to increase their size. Bigelow also plans to develop an attached inflated module to the International Space Station as one of the first hotels in space. In-space vacations will eventually be the gateway for moon and Mars habitation.

Nurturing the space and world economies

Private space companies are devotedly investing across space tourism and firms like UBS consider access to space an enabler to broader opportunities for investment.

More next-generation engineers will enter the space tourism sector for the scope of opportunities and innovation, eventually decreasing the barriers to entry that will increase competition, lower costs, and ultimately democratize space travel for everyday citizens. 

Of course, there are crucial safety, comfort and health factors to consider. Training, medical screenings and liability waivers will need to be examined before tourists head to space. 

Space tourism will be a small subsector of the industry, but it will bolster the entire NewSpace industry. Once space tourism does become mainstream, it will also positively impact many socioeconomic factors on Earth: creating jobs, educating citizens about space and fostering a new solar-based energy infrastructure. The sweet escape to the stars can eventually awaken us to the awe-inspiring potential of space exploration while also giving us a better appreciation of home.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

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Researchers investigate the impacts of space travel on astronauts' eye health

by Alyssa Schaechinger, Texas A&M University

As space travel becomes more common, it is important to consider the impacts of space flight and altered gravity on the human body. Led by Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles, researchers at Texas A&M University are studying some of those impacts, specifically effects on the eye. The findings are published in the journal npj Microgravity .

Gravitational changes experienced by astronauts during space travel can cause fluids within the body to shift. This can cause changes to the cardiovascular system , including vessels in and around the eyes.

As the commercialization of space flight becomes more common and individual space travel increases, astronauts will not be the only ones experiencing these changes. Individuals traveling to space with commercial companies may not be as fit or healthy as astronauts, making it even more important to understand the role that fluid shift plays in cardiovascular and eye health.

"When we experience microgravity conditions, we see changes in the cardiovascular system because gravity is not pulling down all these fluids as it typically does on Earth when we are in an upright position ," said Diaz Artiles, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and a Williams Brothers Construction Company Faculty Fellow.

"When we're upright, a large part of our fluids are stored in our legs, but in microgravity we get a redistribution of fluids into the upper body."

These fluid shifts may be related to a phenomenon known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), which can cause astronauts to experience changes in eye shape and other ocular symptoms, such as changes in ocular perfusion pressure (OPP). At this time, researchers are unsure of the exact cause of SANS, but Diaz Artiles hopes to shed light on the underlying mechanism behind it.

Diaz Artiles and her team are investigating potential countermeasures to help counteract the headward fluid shifts of SANS. In a recent study, they examined the potential aid of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to combat SANS. This countermeasure has the potential to counteract the effects of microgravity by pooling fluid back into the lower body.

While the role of ocular perfusion pressure in the development of SANS remains undetermined, Diaz Artiles and her team hypothesized that microgravity exposure could lead to a slight but chronic elevation (compared to upright postures) in OPP, which may have a role in the development of SANS.

The results of the study showed that lower body negative pressure, while effective in inducing fluid shift toward the lower body, was not an effective method for reducing OPP.

Should elevated ocular perfusion pressure be definitively linked to SANS, the use of LBNP could theoretically not be an effective countermeasure to this syndrome. But they emphasize that future work should seek to better understand the relationship between OPP and SANS, and the impact of LBNP on these ocular responses as part of the countermeasure development.

"This research is just one experiment of a three-part study to better understand the effects of fluid shift in the body and its relationship to SANS. Previous experiments in this study included the use of a tilt table for researchers to understand the cardiovascular effects of fluid shifts at different altered gravity levels, recreated by using different tilt angles," said Diaz Artiles.

The published study, as well as upcoming research, focuses on countermeasures to the fluid shift; in this case, lower body negative pressure .

In future studies, the researchers will examine the effects of using a centrifuge to combat the fluid shift and its effects. Diaz Artiles and her team aim to collect cardiovascular responses using each countermeasure and compare effects on ocular perfusion pressure and other cardiovascular functions that may be affected by microgravity environments.

These studies are performed on Earth, so gravitational changes that occur in space may cause different outcomes. Thus, they hope to conduct future studies in true microgravity conditions, such as parabolic flights.

Journal information: npj Microgravity

Provided by Texas A&M University

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Heavier astronauts have higher risk of post-flight eye changes

May 31, 2018

Vision changes in space

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Long spaceflights affect astronaut brain volume

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Analysis can predict individual differences in cardiovascular responses to altered gravity

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