Will The Risks About Space Travel Change Your Mind About Leaving Earth?

Elon Musk claims that the ‘escape to Mars’ plan is only for the rich. His plan to get to Mars is no secret, saying he will land on the planet by 2022 and human crews by 2024. But, would you want to escape Earth if you knew the risks?

The probability of dying on Mars is much higher than on Earth. With all the risk factors like radiation, lack of oxygen, and inhospitable atmosphere, there is a high chance of death on Mars during this escape. Not to mention the travel that is required. Mars is approximately 140 million miles away from Earth, so people would be traveling for just about 3 years. If someone isn’t feeling well, you can’t just turn around and be home in a couple of hours. Some more of the risks of space travel are:

• Radiation
• Isolation
• Gravity

Radiation is one of the biggest risks in space and on Mars. Space radiation is invisible to the human eye. “Above Earth’s natural protection, radiation exposure increases cancer risk, damages the central nervous system, can alter cognitive function, reduce motor function and prompt behavioral changes” (Whiting, 2018).

Isolation is also a major risk while traveling through space. No matter how well people are trained, being kept in a small space for a long amount of time will cause behavioral issues.

Astronauts that are planning to take a trip to Mars need to live and work in three-eights of Earth’s gravitational pull for nearly 2 years. Not only that, but they also will have zero gravity for the 6 month journey between the 2 planets. Without having the standard gravity that they are used to, changes will occur to their bodies such as bones, muscles and the cardiovascular system.

All in all, there are major risks to traveling to a whole new planet. NASA and other space associations have figured out exactly what astronauts have to do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle including getting the correct amount of sleep and excercise.

Whiting, M. (2018, August 3). 5 hazards of human spaceflight. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/5-hazards-of-human-spaceflight

In text: (Whiting, 2018)