Generation And Applications Of Extra Terrestrial Environments On Earth

This book has been prepared under the auspice of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA). The main task of ELGRA is to foster the scientific community in Europe and beyond in conducting gravity and space-related research. This publication is dedicated to the science community, and especially to the next generation of scientists and engineers interested in space research and in the means to use Earth to reproduce the space environment. ELGRA provides a comprehensive description of space conditions and the means that have been developed on Earth to perform space environmental and (micro-) gravity related research. . The book covers ground-based research instruments and environments for both life and physical sciences research. It discusses the opportunities and limitations of protocols and instruments to compensate gravity or simulate microgravity, such as clinostats, random positioning machines, levitating magnets, electric fields, vibrations, tail suspension or head down tilt, as well as centrifuges for hyper-g studies. Other space environmental conditions are addressed too, like cosmic radiation or Mars atmospheric and soil properties to be replicated and simulated on Earth. Future long duration of manned missions, personal well-being and crew interaction are major issues dealt with.

This book has been prepared under the auspice of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA). The main task of ELGRA is to foster the scientific community in Europe and beyond in conducting gravity and space-related research.This publication is dedicated to the science community, and especially to the next generation of scientists and engineers interested in space research and in the means to use Earth to reproduce the space environment. ELGRA provides a comprehensive description of space conditions and the means that have been developed on Earth to perform space environmental and (micro-) gravity related research. .The book covers ground-based research instruments and environments for both life and physical sciences research. It discusses the opportunities and limitations of protocols and instruments to compensate gravity or simulate microgravity, such as clinostats, random positioning machines, levitating magnets, electric fields, vibrations, tail suspension or head down tilt, as well as centrifuges for hyper-g studies. Other space environmental conditions are addressed too, like cosmic radiation or Mars atmospheric and soil properties to be replicated and simulated on Earth. Future long duration of manned missions, personal well-being and crew interaction are major issues dealt with.

Our anatomy and physiology have been completely shaped by Earth's gravity. All body systems function in synergy with this unseen force. Yet, as we journey further and longer into space, our bodies must conform to a new reality, wherein gravity is absent or reduced, cosmic radiation threatens and our social and familial connections become distant. Into Space: A Journey of How Humans Adapt and Live in Microgravity gives an overview of some of the physiological, anatomical and cellular changes that occur in space and their effects on different body systems, such as the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, and touches on cultural and psychosocial aspects of leaving behind family and the safety of Earth. It further addresses the complexity of manned space flights, showing how interdisciplinary this subject is and discussing the challenges that space physiologists, physicians and scientists must face as humans seek to conquer the final frontier.

Human migration to space will be the most profound catalyst for evolution in the history of humankind, yet this has had little impact on determining our strategies for this next phase of exploration. Habitation in space will require extensive technological interfaces between humans and their alien surroundings and how they are deployed will critically inform the processes of adaptation. As humans begin to spend longer durations in space—eventually establishing permanent outposts on other planets—the scope of technological design considerations must expand beyond the meager requirements for survival to include issues not only of comfort and well‐being, but also of engagement and negotiation with the new planetary environment that will be crucial to our longevity beyond Earth. Approaching this question from an interdisciplinary approach, this dissertation explores how the impact of interior space architecture can meet both the physical and psychological needs of future space colonists and set the stage for humankind to thrive and grow while setting down new roots beyond Earth.

Short of intergalactic travel or aliens landing on Earth, it may seem there is no way for us to learn about extraterrestrial life. However, as this captivating volume details, we may know more than we think. Science and sci-fi enthusiasts will be fascinated to discover that the conditions of various extreme environments on Earth—the Arctic, deep underground, and deep sea, to name a few—are analogous to those of various regions of space. By examining the terrestrial species—or extremophiles—that thrive in these conditions and their survival mechanisms, we can begin to understand extraterrestrial life before ever making contact.