OUTER SPACE

OUTER SPACE

From the earthling perspective, outer space denotes the zone that is found around one hundred kilometers (100km, or 60 miles) above the globe. Scientist claims that there is no enough air in the outer space that can support human life or even scatter the light. A large portion of the outer space is empty, mostly regarded as a vacuum; however, the vacuum is imperfect since it contains cosmic rays, space plasma, and interstellar dust. There exist interstellar dust clouds and small particles that form the solar wind. The outer space consists of numerous hydrogen atoms and isolated particles, which are believed to form “nebulae,” nebulae denotes to the clouds formed by the hydrogen atoms and the isolated particles in the space that are a billion kilometers wide. Apart from the interstellar dust and nebulae, the outer space also contains rubble bits, which range from different sizes. The numerous rubble bits are regarded as the asteroids and planetoids. Outer space is not a complete vacuum space; it contains various components in it. The essay is going to explore facts regarding outer space, how space was discovered, the technology used to explore the space (both traditional and current. Also, the essay will discuss the effects of outer space on the human body.

The outer space is composed of various regions; the various regions on the outer space are defined by “winds,” and the various atmospheres that are distinct from each region. The various regions found on outer space include the following; Geospace, interplanetary, interstellar, and intergalactic. Geospace denotes the region of the outer space that is located close to the Earth; it includes the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and the upper space of the atmosphere. Also, Geospace contains the Van Allen radiation belts (Shayler, 2017). The region found amid the Moon and Earth’s atmosphere is known as the cis-lunar space. Geospace is characterized by electrically chargeable particles, which are of low densities; the motion of the particles is regulated by Earth’s magnetic field (Walker, 2019).  Also, the Geospace is characterized by materials from previous unmanned and manned launches; these materials act as potential hazards for the spacecraft.

The outer space found within the solar system is referred to as interplanetary space. The interplanetary space if occupied by ionized atomic nuclei, cosmic rays, and numerous subatomic particles. The region also contains the plasma, gas, small meteors, and the organic molecules which were discovered by microwave spectroscopy. Interstellar is the other region found in outer space, the region is found within the galaxy, and planetary systems or even the stars do not occupy it. The other region in outer space is intergalactic space; it is found in between the galaxies (Shayler, 2017). Space is free of debris and dust; it is almost a perfect vacuum. Human beings are never supposed to be exposed to the outer space without a space mask (Han, 2017). Too much exposure on the outer space creates numerous health problems on human beings; one of the most significant physical effect caused by outer space on human beings is the loss of muscle and bone mass. Hence, it damages the astronauts’ performance, lower aerobatic capacity, and reduces the performance of the cardiovascular system.

Space flight tends to hurt astronaut’s mental health. The spaceflight tends to disrupt the sleeping schedule of the astronauts; there is a dramatic alteration of the dark-light cycles in the space. This tends to affect the sleeping cycle of the astronauts. Disruption of the sleeping schedule among the astronauts tends to affect the executive function, and the decision-making process (GUO et al., 2010). Disruption of sleeping schedules also contributes to depression (mostly due to isolation from their family members) amongst astronauts. Spaceflight can also lead to cognitive impairment; the outer space pose is a detrimental effect that can negatively affect the body performance of most of the astronauts (Özçivici, 2013). The outer-space environment tends to cause anxiety among most of the astronauts; this, in turn, tends to affect their behaviors.

In the US, an astronaut is regarded as a person who has hovered fifty miles (50 miles) in the space, NASA, on the other hand, use seventy-six miles as their re-entry loftiness. For most of human history, space was discovered through observations from Earth’s surface. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the first individual to discover the method of exploring space in 1903. He claimed that exploring the space through the use of chemical fuel would need a rocket that has multiple stages (Siddiqi, 2016). The idea regarding exploring the space using multiple stages rocket was advanced by Herman Oberth, twenty years later, in his book Rocket into Planetary Space. The German V2 (1994) was the first rocket to go beyond the Karman line, which needed a speed of over 18000 miles per hour. This was followed by the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1, which was the first human-made rocket to go around the Erath in 1944.  This was then followed by Yuri Gagarin (1961), who managed to make the initial human spaceflight.

Recently, the Government has devoted vast resources to space exploration. The first surreptitiously backed human spaceflight happened in 2004. Since then, scientists with the help of the Government have channeled enormous resources towards advancing the technology necessary to explore the space. The US government launched the X-37B test car program intended at establishing a reusable space vehicle to help prosper in the space shuttle. President Obama claimed that astronauts would manage to explore Mars by 2030. Currently, the Government, mainly the US government, has devoted considerable resources to develop superior technology that will enhance the efficient exploration of outer space.

In conclusion, outer space is not an entire vacuum space, as thought by most of the people. The exploration of outer space began as early as 1903 when people could use observations to analyze the outer space from the Earth’s surface. However, technology continually changed, and the Government has devoted more resources to support the work of outer space. Scientist claims that there exist various regions on the outer space; some of the regions found on the outer space includes; Geospace, interplanetary, interstellar, and the intergalactic. Each region contains distinct components from the other. The spaceflight is believed to hurt the body of the astronauts; for instance, it caucuses physical impairment, psychological effect (mental health), and cognitive effect.

References

GUO, H.-J., JIN, W.-K., ZHAO, L.-S., ZHAO, S.-R., ZHAO, H.-B., & LIU, L.-X. (2010). Mutagenic Effects of Different Factors in Spaceflight Environment of Shijian-8 Satellite in Wheat. ACTA AGRONOMICA SINICA, 36(5), 764–770. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1006.2010.00764

Han, J. (2017). Observing interstellar and intergalactic magnetic fields. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 55, 111-157.

Özçivici, E. (2013). Effects of Spaceflight on Cells of Bone Marrow Origin. Turkish Journal of Hematology, 30(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.4274/tjh.2012.0127

Shayler, D. J. (2017). From Inner To Outer Space. In Assembling and Supplying the ISS (pp. 224-268). Springer, Cham.

Siddiqi, A. (2016). Rockets and Revolution: a cultural history of early spaceflight. Social History, 41(3), 333–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071022.2016.1175114

Walker, A. D. M. (2019). Magnetohydrodynamic waves in Geospace: The theory of ULF waves and their interaction with energetic particles in the solar-terrestrial environment. CRC Press.