Risks of Space Exploration

Brainstorm: Suppose you decide to enroll into NASA’s astronaut

program. What risks do you face when travelling to “outer space”?

Challenger disaster Columbia disaster - 2003

Running out of fuel Is calculated to the mL! – why?

Hitting a meteroid or other debrisUV/Solar radiation

Kills organ cells and damages bone marrow

Can burn up electronic circuits on board

Entering Earth’s atmosphere at correct angle Too shallow – bounce back into

atmosphere Too steep – can burn up

All the pieces of debris from rockets, satellites, space shuttles, probes, and space stations that remains in space

Ex. flecks of paint, bolt, satelliteTravels at 20 000m/s!

How to remove space junk -articlehttp://news.discovery.com/space/

cubesails-to-drag-space-junk-from-orbit.html

Vanguard I – launched by US in 1958, is the oldest space debris -located in MEO; lost contact in 1964 and will remain orbitting Earth for 240 years….until 2204!

Canadarm (1981) – launches and retrieves satellites Help fix Hubble Space Telescope Added modules on International Space

Station Can grasp objects, bend like an elbow

and move around the Space Station

Remote Manipulator System Docks space shuttle Moves around parts of shuttle

Mobile Base System Travels along a rail system to move

Dexterous Manipulator Two-armed robotic hand for assembly

work

1962- Alouette I1972 – Anik I

Gave satellite communications for the 1st time

1984 – first Canadian in space was Marc Garneau

1992 – Roberta Bondar was first Canadian female

Pro’s Improves life on Earth Determine ways of capturing solar

energy (solve energy crisis)Cons

Money could be going to stop hunder, pollution, poverty, disease

Is it right to spend money on space exploration when there are people in need on Earth?”

“ Who decides who owns space? Does Canada, USA, Russia, China? Who gets the resources (like energy sources) that are found in space?”

Who has to clean up the space junk? Who is responsible for protecting space environments from alteration?”

“Do we have the right to alter materials in space to meet our needs?

How can we ensure that the resources from space are used to meet the needs of everyone?