ESS 102
14 October 2014
Professor Harnett
The Negative Effects of Long Term Space Travel and How to Address Them
My science fiction story will take place on Mars. The Russians have successfully landed a ship on the surface of Mars and the Americans are not far behind. The mission is to establish an oxygen rich environment on the surface of mars in small scale to test the possibilities of large scale migration to Mars. The Russians lose contact with their craft after one day on the planet and the Americans hear of the tragedy and start to wonder as to what their fate will be. They are instructed to look for survivors when they arrive and what they find is more than they could have ever dreamed. The story will be based upon the negative effects of long-term space travel. Some of the technology involved will be related to radiation shielding, space suits designed to …show more content…
These studies conducted in space and in test missions in Antarctica showed that lack of sleep and being isolated may result in the weakening of the Thymus gland, compromising immunity. The thymus gland, an organ that serves as a factory for T-Cells which help fight off illness. A group of researchers from the University of Arizona have been running tests on mice to try and solve the problem. They are making progress and are looking to use the microarray technology to investigate further. Research this complex requires specialists to come together and combine their expertise. Common viruses and bacteria are more likely to cause an infection in an astronauts. Allergy symptoms are also common since the immune system cannot adapt well under the conditions previously stated. If a crew were to travel to Mars they would need many antiviral drugs along with other drugs. Unfortunately at this time the drugs we have today expire in 6 months, forcing the space travelers to take pre packed ingredients and mix them themselves when