scholarly journals Orbital Habitability: Architectural Design for Extra-Terrestrial Habitation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Griffin Tozer
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Small Step ◽  
Specific Group ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Space Industry ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Exciting Possibility

<p>Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are privatising the space industry. This privatisation will allow more and more people to inhabit space for more extended periods, with less training than prior astronauts. Space habitation brings with it a vast array of issues, which significantly limit the designs that are possible in orbit. This thesis explores how the challenges of inhabiting outer space can be mitigated through architectural design.  The theoretical basis for this exploration is research into habitability. Habitability is how conducive an environment is to living and working. This is crucial to understanding the risks of inhabiting environments in orbit and how these can be challenged through design.  The Framework for this exploration’s site and program is asteroid mining. Asteroid mining is an exciting possibility for the next stage of human presence in space. Utilising asteroid resources could greatly aid in establishing orbital infrastructure around the Earth and allowing us to travel even further. As a framework, this defines a tighter scope than looking at space habitation in general and allows this thesis to dive deeper into the finer details of habitability for a specific group of people.  The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate designed solutions to issues of habitability within the constraints necessary to construct a space station. This thesis considers how a design might be; designed and modelled, deployed in space, constructed, and most fundamentally, how it could mitigate the psychological and physiological issues of long-term space habitation.  This is accomplished through a research-led design process centred on self-evaluation through the habitability principles defined in this thesis.  This thesis fundamentally collates and builds upon our existing knowledge of space habitation and presents one possibility for the future of space habitation. This is merely one small step for the furthering of human habitability in space.</p>

scholarly journals Orbital Habitability: Architectural Design for Extra-Terrestrial Habitation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Griffin Tozer
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Small Step ◽  
Specific Group ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Space Industry ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Exciting Possibility

<p>Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are privatising the space industry. This privatisation will allow more and more people to inhabit space for more extended periods, with less training than prior astronauts. Space habitation brings with it a vast array of issues, which significantly limit the designs that are possible in orbit. This thesis explores how the challenges of inhabiting outer space can be mitigated through architectural design.  The theoretical basis for this exploration is research into habitability. Habitability is how conducive an environment is to living and working. This is crucial to understanding the risks of inhabiting environments in orbit and how these can be challenged through design.  The Framework for this exploration’s site and program is asteroid mining. Asteroid mining is an exciting possibility for the next stage of human presence in space. Utilising asteroid resources could greatly aid in establishing orbital infrastructure around the Earth and allowing us to travel even further. As a framework, this defines a tighter scope than looking at space habitation in general and allows this thesis to dive deeper into the finer details of habitability for a specific group of people.  The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate designed solutions to issues of habitability within the constraints necessary to construct a space station. This thesis considers how a design might be; designed and modelled, deployed in space, constructed, and most fundamentally, how it could mitigate the psychological and physiological issues of long-term space habitation.  This is accomplished through a research-led design process centred on self-evaluation through the habitability principles defined in this thesis.  This thesis fundamentally collates and builds upon our existing knowledge of space habitation and presents one possibility for the future of space habitation. This is merely one small step for the furthering of human habitability in space.</p>

The SPORES experiment of the EXPOSE-R mission: Bacillus subtilis spores in artificial meteorites

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Panitz ◽  
Gerda Horneck ◽  
Elke Rabbow ◽  
Petra Rettberg ◽  
Ralf Moeller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Solar Uv Radiation ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
Total Fluence ◽  
Solar Uv ◽  
Space Vacuum

AbstractThe experiment SPORES ‘Spores in artificial meteorites’ was part of European Space Agency's EXPOSE-R mission, which exposed chemical and biological samples for nearly 2 years (March 10, 2009 to February 21, 2011) to outer space, when attached to the outside of the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station. The overall objective of the SPORES experiment was to address the question whether the meteorite material offers enough protection against the harsh environment of space for spores to survive a long-term journey in space by experimentally mimicking the hypothetical scenario of Lithopanspermia, which assumes interplanetary transfer of life via impact-ejected rocks. For this purpose, spores of Bacillus subtilis 168 were exposed to selected parameters of outer space (solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation at λ>110 or >200 nm, space vacuum, galactic cosmic radiation and temperature fluctuations) either as a pure spore monolayer or mixed with different concentrations of artificial meteorite powder. Total fluence of solar UV radiation (100–400 nm) during the mission was 859 MJ m−2. After retrieval the viability of the samples was analysed. A Mission Ground Reference program was performed in parallel to the flight experiment. The results of SPORES demonstrate the high inactivating potential of extraterrestrial UV radiation as one of the most harmful factors of space, especially UV at λ>110 nm. The UV-induced inactivation is mainly caused by photodamaging of the DNA, as documented by the identification of the spore photoproduct 5,6-dihydro-5(α-thyminyl)thymine. The data disclose the limits of Lithopanspermia for spores located in the upper layers of impact-ejected rocks due to access of harmful extraterrestrial solar UV radiation.

REPEATED LONG-TERM SPACE FLIGHTS: PROTEOMIC INVESTIGATIONS OF COSMONAUTS' BLOOD

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
I.M. Larina ◽  
◽  
D.N. Kashirina ◽  
K.S. Kireev ◽  
A.I. Grigoriev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Structure ◽  
Space Station ◽  
The Body ◽  
Coagulation Cascade ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Blood Proteins ◽  
Blood Indices ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Biochemical Indices

We performed the first ever comparative analysis of modifications in the proteome, ionogram and some other blood plasma biochemical indices of 18 male cosmonauts (44 ± 6 years of age) before and after maiden or repeated long-term missions to the Russian segment of the International space station (ISS RS). Levels of proteins, substrates and ions as well as chemical components were measured using the LC-MS-based proteomics and routine biochemical techniques. A total of 256 to 281 indices were investigated with the methods of descriptive statistic, regression analysis, and access to bioinformatics resources. It was shown that blood indices recovery from the maiden and repeated missions reflects changes in the body systems and goes at a various speed. The results of measurements made prior to launch and on day 7 after landing are dependent on the number of missions. The bioinformatics techniques showed that after maiden missions both the mediator proteins of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and blood proteins with reliably changing concentrations are associated with the bio-processes including stress, metabolism and DNA reparation, apoptosis, catabolism and proteolysis. During early re-adaptation from repeated missions the AP level was affected by bone remodeling, phosphorylation, angiogenesis and coagulation cascade suggesting a distinct and urgent trigger of the processes of bone structure and mineralization.

scholarly journals Effect of Spaceflight on Tomato Seed Quality and Biochemical Characteristics of Mature Plants

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Elena Dzhos ◽  
Nadezhda Golubkina ◽  
Marina Antoshkina ◽  
Irina Kondratyeva ◽  
Andrew Koshevarov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Quality ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Tomato Seed ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Biochemical Characteristics ◽  
Tomato Seeds ◽  
Genetic Modifications ◽  
Total Antioxidant

Intensive space exploration includes profound investigations on the effect of weightlessness and cosmic radiation on plant growth and development. Tomato seeds are often used in such experiments though up to date the results have given rather vague information about biochemical changes in mature plants grown from seeds subjected to spaceflight. The effect of half a year of storage in the International Space Station (ISS) on tomato seeds (cultivar Podmoskovny ranny) was studied by analyzing the biochemical characteristics and mineral content of mature plants grown from these seeds both in greenhouse and field conditions. A significant increase was recorded in ascorbic acid, polyphenol and carotenoid contents, and total antioxidant activity (AOA), with higher changes in the field conditions compared to greenhouse. Contrary to control plants, the ones derived from space-stored seeds demonstrated a significant decrease in root AOA. The latter plants also showed a higher yield, but lower content of fruit dry matter, sugars, total dissolved solids and organic acids. The fruits of plants derived from space-stored seeds demonstrated decreased levels of Fe, Cu and taste index. The described results reflect the existence of oxidative stress in mature tomato plants as a long-term consequence of the effect of spaceflight on seed quality, whereas the higher yield may be attributed to genetic modifications.

scholarly journals Long-Term Microgravity Effects on Isometric Handgrip and Precision Pinch Force with Visual and Proprioceptive Feedback

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ilario Puglia ◽  
Michele Balsamo ◽  
Marco Vukich ◽  
Valfredo Zolesi
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Isometric Handgrip ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Space Flights ◽  
Pinch Force ◽  
Long Duration

The study and analysis of human physiology during short- and long-duration space flights are the most valuable approach in order to evaluate the effect of microgravity on the human body and to develop possible countermeasures in prevision of future exploratory missions and Mars expeditions. Hand performances such as force output and manipulation capacity are fundamental for astronauts’ intra- and extravehicular activities. Previous studies on upper limb conducted on astronauts during short-term missions (10 days) indicated a temporary partial reduction in the handgrip maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) followed by a prompt recovery and adaptation to weightlessness during the last days of the mission. In the present study, we report on the “Crew’s Health: Investigation on Reduced Operability” (CHIRO) protocol, developed for handgrip and pinch force investigations, performed during the six months increment 7 and increment 8 (2003-2004) onboard International Space Station (ISS). We found that handgrip and pinch force performance are reduced during long-term increments in space and are not followed by adaptation during the mission, as conversely reported during short-term increment experiments. The application of protocols developed in space will be eligible to astronauts during long-term space missions and to patients affected by muscle atrophy diseases or nervous system injury on Earth.

Cities Created by Modernity: A Fengshui Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-499
Author(s):  
Michael John Paton
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Chinese Art ◽  
Empirical Knowledge ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Long Term Survival ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Human Habitation

The 2011 tsunami had a devastating effect on the east coast of Japan. Particularly poignant were the century-old markers on hillsides warning against building anywhere below. Nevertheless, such wisdom from traditional knowledge was disregarded because of the perceived invulnerability of the modern. This paper attempts to garner such traditional empirical knowledge regarding the siting of towns and cities by considering the Chinese art/science of fengshui (wind and water) or dili (principles of the earth), the original purpose of which was to site human habitation in the most favourable places for long term survival. This knowledge is then used to consider the placement of cities created by modernity, those founded on and flourishing through the advent of globalisation, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, St Petersburg, and Sydney.

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