A Spacesuit for Extra-ordinary Martian Conditions
A Space Suit for Extra-ordinary Martian Conditions
Bertan obanDoancan zturanKamil Can Kural
Bioastronautics
Bioastronautics is a specialty area of bioengineering research
which encompasses numerous aspects of biological, behavioral, and
medical concern governing humans and other living organisms in a
space flight environment; and includes design of payloads, space
habitats, and life support systems. In short, it spans the study
and support of life in space.
This area is divided into four basic categories:
The Space Environment
Impacts of Microgravity on Human Physiology
Life Support Systems and Countermeasures
Mission Logistics and Planning
C:\Users\Jonh\Desktop\Yeni
klasr\STS-103_Reflection_on_astronaut's_visor.jpgMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The
planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often
described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its
surface gives it a reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet
with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of
the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts,
and polar ice caps of Earth. The rotational period and seasonal
cycles of Mars are likewise similar to those of Earth. Mars is the
site of Olympus Mons, the highest known mountain within the Solar
System, and of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon. The smooth
Borealis Basin in the northern hemisphere covers 40% of the planet
and may be a giant impact feature.
Planning a Manned Mission to Mars
Since the discovery of Mars, scientists started to wonder
whether if its possible to send astronauts to the Red Planet. This
travel, as exciting as it is, has its own difficulties.
Challenges of Manned Exploration
Mars has about the %37 of the gravity of Earth. Also it is less
illuminated than our planet. Its atmosphere consists of mainly
carbon dioxide. In addition to these, psychological impacts of this
travel is a big issue to be solved.
Lack Of Gravity
Being weightless for the entire mission would cause degeneration
of muscles, bones, and the heart. And without a vigorous exercise
program, an astronaut would likely experience heart problems
because his or her heart would become too weak to pump blood upon
returning to Earth and its gravitation.
Exposure to Radiation
Another issue that must be addressed is the huge amount of
radiation exposure that occurs outside the atmosphere. Being away
from Earth for three years would mean that every cell of your body
would be mutated by a galactic ray, and we just don't know what
that would do to people.
Difficulties of the Long Distance Travel
It takes about a year and a half to cover the distance from
Earth to Mars. During the travel a machine that puts the astronauts
to sleep could be used to minimize the effects of microgravity and
the other extreme conditions.
C:\Users\Jonh\Desktop\Yeni klasr\spacetravel-866347.jpegGetting
Weaker
Astronauts lose 1 to 2 percent of their bone mass for each month
they spend in space. A 2001-2004 NASA-sponsored study showed that
crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were
still losing up to 2.7 percent of their interior bone material and
1.7 percent of outer hipbone material for each month they spent in
space even if they use conditioning regiment exercises. If ISS crew
members lose this much bone density after 4 to 6 months in space,
astronauts on long missions to Marsvoyages that could take
yearscould lose enough bone mass that they suffer fractures while
carrying out tasks on the Martian surface.
C:\Users\Jonh\Desktop\Yeni klasr\bisphosphonates_004.jpgAfter
Landing on Mars
The Problems just started after landing. Mars is a harsh
environment for humans who have never stepped foot before. It has a
different time schedule than Earth.1 Martian year is equal to 687
Earth days. Mars lost its magnetosphere 4 billion years ago, so the
solar wind interacts directly with the Martian ionosphere, lowering
the atmospheric density by stripping away atoms from the outer
layer. And Dust storms on the surface is another big problem.
Extreme Temperatures
Mars provides a harsh environment, extremely cold and with a
very thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Anyone living or traveling
on Mars would require a robust life-support system to provide
higher atmospheric pressure, adequate warmth, and such necessities
(for us) as food and water. With no ozone in the atmosphere, the
surface is strongly bathed in ultraviolet sunlight. This UV light
would be lethal for exposed terrestrial life, but it is easily
shielded by a space suit.
Mars Dust
One of the biggest problems with the Martian surface will
actually be the dust. It will be extremely easy to track inside the
habitat if strict precautions are not taken. Similar to the
regolith on the moon, it could jam up or interfere with machinery
or irritate the crew's skin or eyes. The habitat will have to be
equipped with well-designed airlocks as well as some sort of vacuum
cleaner to clean up any dust that does make it inside.
A space suit is a complex system of garments, equipment and
environmental systems designed to keep a person alive and
comfortable in the harsh environment of outer space. This applies
to extra-vehicular activity (EVA) outside spacecraft orbiting
Earth, and has applied to walking, and riding the Lunar Rover, on
the Moon.
Space Suits
Spacesuit requirements
A stable internal pressure. This can be less than earth's
atmosphere, as there is usually no need for the spacesuit to carry
nitrogen (which comprises about 78% of earth's atmosphere and is
not used by the body). Lower pressure allows for greater mobility,
but requires the suit occupant to breathe pure oxygen for a time
before going into this lower pressure, to avoid decompression
sickness.
Mobility. Movement is typically opposed by the pressure of the
suit; mobility is achieved by careful joint design.
Breathable oxygen. Circulation of cooled and purified oxygen is
controlled by the Primary Life Support System
Temperature regulation. Unlike on Earth, where heat can be
transferred by convection to the atmosphere, in space heat can be
lost only by thermal radiation or by conduction to objects in
physical contact with the space suit. Since the temperature on the
outside of the suit varies greatly between sunlight and shadow, the
suit is heavily insulated, and the temperature inside the suit is
regulated by a Liquid Cooling Garment in contact with the
astronaut's skin, as well as air temperature maintained by the
Primary Life Support System.
Shielding against ultraviolet radiation
Limited shielding against particle radiation
Protection against small micrometeoroids, provided by a Thermal
Micrometeoroid Garment, which is the outermost layer of the
suit
A communication system
Means to recharge and discharge gases and liquids
Means to maneuver, dock, release, and/or tether onto
spacecraft
Means of collecting and containing solid and liquid waste (such
as a Maximum Absorbency Garment)
Current Space Suits
Current space suits are not very efficient. They have very high
masses and they re really big in volume. Not having recycling and
providing back up energy is a big problem also. And you can get
fried by a solar flare. Running out of oxygen is also a distinct
problem.
Comparison of Current and Future Space Suits
Current Space Suits
High in volume and mass.
Restricting movement .
No Backup energy.
No recycling.
Not strong enough to protect against micrometeoroids which
travel at a speed of 15.000 km/h or faster.
No protection against sun flares and radiation.
Future Space Suits
Lighter and compact.
Easier to move with.
Provides Backup energy in emergency cases like loosing contact
with the ship
Recycle nutritions, N2,O2 and H2O
Can deflect meteorites with magnetic field or protect itself by
creating a shield.
Can reflect or absorb Suns energy to power its own functions or
power up the ship
Space Suit for Mars
A space suit specifically designed for this mission is needed
for the exploration of the Red Planet. As bioengineers, we have
come to several solutions and ideas for the appropriate outfit of a
Mars pioneer.
A Skin Suit for Start
With stirrups that loop around the feet, the elastic gravity
skin suit is purposely cut too short for the astronaut so that it
stretches when put onpulling the wearers shoulders towards the
feet. In normal gravity conditions on Earth, a humans legs bear
more weight than the torso. Because the suits legs stretch more
than the torso section, the wearers legs are subjected to a greater
forcereplicating gravity effects on Earth.
A Space Suit for Mars
A special suit designed for Mars atmosphere is required to
travel around the Mars. This suit needs to be protective against
dust storms. The new suits will be built with new, more
dust-resistant materials, with fortified joints to keep out the
fine particles. Another problem is radioactive particles that came
from Sun. To prevent this we can use special made absorptive
vestments that can be used to turn these to energy
The Bio-Suit System would provide life support through
mechanical counter-pressure where pressure is applied to the entire
body through a tight-fitting suit with a helmet for the head.
Wearable technologies will be embedded in the Bio-Suit layers and
the outer layer might be recyclable. Hence, images of 'spraying on'
the inner layer of the Bio-Suit System emerge, which offers design
advantages for extreme, dusty, planetary environments.
Flexible space system design methods are slated to enable
adaptation of Bio-Suit hardware and software elements in the
context of changing mission requirements. Reliability can be
assured through dependence of Bio-Suit layers acting on local needs
and conditions through self-repair at localized sites while
preserving overall system integrity.
Recycling
During long missions on Mars surface, astronauts may not return
back to the facility. Recycling water and nutritions inside the
body is very important for the missions outside the space shuttle.
Oxygen recycling is also another big problem. By playing with genes
of specific organisms we hope to get a new specie that can make a
chemical reaction for recycling breathable oxygen from CO2.(Human
Respiration). The system collects and recycles all the water in the
environment including humidity from respiration, perspiration and
microwave use; waste water from showers, hand washes, shaves, and
toothbrushes; and urine. The Space Station Water Processor uses
four technologies to purify the water.
These technologies include particulate filtration, ion exchange,
carbon adsorption, and catalytic oxidation.
Following these steps, iodine is added as a microbial biocide,
similar to the use of chlorine in most municipal water systems.
Last of all, the quality of the water is monitored to ensure the
purification process is working and water quality is
acceptable.
The system is 10.000 times better than an average water
treatment plant.
Providing Energy
Energy is necessary to power astronaut tools, equipment inside
the space suits including liquid cooling and ventilation systems,
communications equipment, bio-instrumentation and other life
support systems.
For crew excursions, compact spacesuit batteries with even
greater specific energy are critical for extending mission
durations and therefore scientific return.
These are the requirements for a space battery.
High specific energy - amount of energy per unit mass
High energy density - amount of energy stored per unit
volume
Cell-level safety tolerance to electrical and thermal abuse
Getting energy from the sun may be a solution. We can use light
absorptive casings and heat absorptive modules to provide our
energy needs. We can use nanobiotechnology to create a decent light
absorptive organism for use of getting energy from the sun.
G:\Grseller\thumbnailCAR5R0SS.jpgG:\Grseller\electric-car-battery-500x375.jpgFuture
Applications
NASA plans to send a shuttle to the Galilean Moons (Io,
Ganymede, Europa, Callisto), especially Europa because of its
possibility to host extraterrestrial life. Although this missions
dont include humans, it can be a manned mission in the near
future.
D:\space_suit___side_view_by_sammcj1962-d366h3b.jpgAll the
equipments, and the vehicles must be human friendly in order to
make the astronauts life easier in the outer Space. The equipments
which we have mentioned are: Recycling Units, Extravehicular
Mobility Units, Energy Converters etc.
D:\nasa1.jpgIn the Distant Future
Outer planets such asSaturn,Uranus, andNeptuneare too distant to
reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic
probes are the only way to explore them. But in the distant future
these outer giants could be visited by manned spacecrafts.
D:\space_suit_by_rusty001-d2yj2ta.jpgD:\Russian_Space_Suit_by_onyxswami.jpgThe
Year 5000
Devices that turns Gama Rays and Cosmic Rays into bioenergy
could be developed. Scientific developments will reach its peak and
this will effect the balances on our world and society.
Fight over the Space technologies will be the main conflict
between the leading nations on our planet. Scientific developments
and improvements would be the most important issue in nations
policies.
Bioethical View
When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who
is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the
crew?
Should genetic screening to weed out astronauts who might get a
disease on a long flight be employed ?
ShouldNASA mandate preventive surgery to head off medical
emergencies during a mission?
Should astronauts be required to sign living wills with
end-of-life instructions?
How should NASA cope with sexual desire among healthy young men
and women during a mission years long?
Should astronauts of reproductive age be required to bank sperm
or eggs because of the risk of genetic mutations from radiation
exposure during long trips?
How should NASA balance the need for crew safety and
minimizingrisk exposure with the drive for mission success?
These are the questions that NASA is still trying to find out
and observe if it is ethical or not.
Bioethical questions begin with decisions about how to equip a
craft. Given that crafts will have severe weight restrictionsknown
as upmass in NASA parlanceevery decision to include one piece of
equipment is a decision to exclude something else.
How do we balance different likelihoods and needs? Given a
calculus between three measuresseverity of a condition, likelihood
of occurrence, and effectiveness of countermeasures-how do we
decide which kinds of potential health events we will address?
Once a craft is equipped, decisions must be made about
allocation. Who decides what medical resources are used for whom?
In some instances, it may not be prudent to use up a scarce
resource on an injured or ill crewmember early in a mission, under
the assumption that the resource may be needed later and restocking
is not possible. Principles of triage should be worked out in
advance of a mission and be part of medical and bioethical
policy.
Imagine a crewmember who discovers a life-threatening illness
with two years left on a mission. Should we allow the crewmember to
continue, to risk or even sacrifice his or her life for the
mission? Do we give them that choice? What of a crew member with a
severe head injury who is disabled? A disabled astronaut removes
two crew members from their normal duties: the injured member and
the crewmember caretaker. A mission may not be able to sacrifice
the work of two of its members. And what if a crewmember does
perish? Do we store the body for two years for return to earth, or
give the member a burial at space?
Any Questions?Resources
http://www.wikipedia.org 15.12.2010 -05.01.2010
http://www.nasa.gov 15.12.2010- 05.01.2010
http://www.space.com 16.12.2010- 05.01.2010
http://www.popsci.com 16.12.2010- 05.01.2010
http://www.natgeo.com 17.12.2010- 05.01.2010
http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-suit.htm 17.12.2010
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/superhero-style-skin-tight-spacesuit-provides-healthy-compression-astronauts
17.12.2010
http://www.universetoday.com 17.12.2010
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