Challenges of space-exploration

 I presume that we all know about every spacecraft that is floating, orbiting, on its way to, or even scrutinizing a specific planet in our Solar System. But are we aware of the problems that had to be overcome in order to make a particular space expedition successful? Here, I will discuss the apprehensions that we face today during or prior to any space-mission, and offer up solutions that would remove them, or at least reduce them in order to proliferate the probability of success.

Firstly, we all know about our gargantuan universe, and how unimaginably enormous it is. This is the first problem we face. The main reason as to why space-exploration is inefficient is due to the fact that our universe is huge. It takes weeks to visit our own natural satellite, months to visit even the nearest planet to our own, and years to visit the other planets after Mars. Even with Voyager 1 travelling at around 62,000 km/hr, it would take around 40,000 years, or around 400 generations, for it to reach even the nearest star. So, size is a serious bone of contention when it comes to space-exploration.

                    The second problem that we face is with regard to manned spaceflight. The harsh environments of space pose a serious threat to people aboard various spacecrafts in outer space. If there is a need for an astronaut to leave his spacecraft in order to perform repairs, the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU, would provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide for as long as eight-and-a-half hours. But if the suit failed, or the astronaut was somehow subjected to the airless, pressure-less void of space without such protection, he or she would lose consciousness within 15 seconds. Also, if an astronaut's bare skin was exposed to unfiltered sunlight in space, he or she would quickly develop a very bad case of sunburn.

       Well, the absence of air pressure and the unfiltered UV radiation aren’t the only problems in space. Harmful radiation from outer space is an ever-lasting threat to astronauts, and can lead to all sorts of adverse effects, such as cell-damage, mutations, radiation sickness, and an increased risk of developing cancer. Also, the effects of microgravity can leave bones so weak that they cannot support astronauts' bodies when they return to Earth, putting them at risk of suffering fractures from stress. If that's not bad enough, the microgravity environment also causes changes in the spinal disks that give astronauts really bad backaches.

              The next problem to be discussed is regarding unmanned space-probes. For interplanetary voyages, space-probes would require a constant energy source to keep them operational and in contact with the Earth. Solar Energy acts as a perennial source to keep a space-probe running. But beyond a certain point, the energy from the sun is too tenuous to be efficiently exploited by the space-probe, and would have to rely on other sources. For example, Voyager 1 and 2 rely on the natural radioactive decay of plutonium as an energy source. But then again, this power source would run out within the next 30 years, and there isn’t much that we can do about it, unless we come up with new ideas and develop new mechanisms to efficiently harness the energy contained in other readily-available sources in outer space, such as cosmic rays. Well, this can only be achieved if we are hot to trot about conducting vigorous and ardent research into the topic. I do believe that we can come up with promising solutions to these problems in the near future that would make space-exploration progressively more viable.

Shreyash Dahale