TPO 50 Integrated

The article states that sending humans to Mars requires solving many problems, which are not easy to solve and provides three examples to support. However, the professor believes such a trip would be definitely challenging for humans, but there are solutions for the problems mentioned in the article.

First, the reading claims that since Mars is too far from earth, and the spaceship has limited capacity, it is impossible for astronauts to take enough food with them. The professor refutes this idea by mentioning that astronauts can grow special kind of plants in their spaceships, that grow in water rather than soil. She explains that such plants can also recycle waste water and release it as clean water vapor, which can be collected to produce drinking water. The other positive effect of these plants is that they can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, so the astronauts will have fresh air in the spaceship.

Second, the article posits that spending such a long time at zero gravity would cause serious problems for astronauts body. However, the professor says that in the last years, many astronauts have spent months in spaceships orbiting the earth, so they have learned to use some techniques to reduce the negative effects of zero gravity.She mentions that regular exercises and taking vitamins such as calcium could help to stop the decrease in bone density.

Third, the reading says that in such a trip astronauts will be exposed to dangerous solar radiation and adding a shield to protect the whole spaceship would add much weight and is not plausible. The professor opposes this point by explaining that not all sun radiations are dangerous. She elaborates on this by mentioning that dun radiation are only harmful during its active periods. She says that they can add an equipment in the spaceship to monitor solar radiations. Furthermore, a small shielded area in the spaceship can be built, that does not add so much weight. By using that monitoring device astronauts will notice when the sun is in its active period, so they will go to the in the small shielded area in their spaceship.