(Hat Tip: LiftPort, Plus video below)

It seems no matter who you talk to within the space community you will generally find two arguments for going into space–one side is all about science revealing our place in the Universe (via robots) while the other is about populating the Universe (via humans) and charting our own destiny.

Michael Laine from LiftPort seems to have answered this question after being interviewed by Radio Open Source (listen to the audio over here)

Well, one of the things that is at the heart of the man verses robotics question is [...] Is it moon verses Mars? Is it man verses robotics?

It doesn’t have to be a one verses the other. [...] If you’ve got–and thats Elon’s goal, and thats my goal, thats everybody in the space communities goal–if you have cheap reliable safe access to space, it doesn’t have to be one or against the other.

[W]hat we’re looking to do is [...] get [a] better bang for your buck so you don’t have to choose.

Humanity owes a huge debt to our robots who have definitely increased our knowledge of the cosmos (not to mention locating valuable resources and notable hazards, all the while snapping beautiful photos).

However, if humanity simply uses robots to explore the universe then our space program will continue to lose interest among the youth which can easily result in its early demise. Adding humans to the mix may not only prove to be quite productive, but actually encourage the public to invest more (or at least justify the expense) into space.

After all, since when was the last time a robot convinced you of the value of exploring the final frontier?

(Video Hat Tip: NASA Watch)

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With all of the potential for our race for exploring, colonizing and conquering future worlds, the biggest show stopper to our activities is radiation. Unless our race discovers a unique way to combat this threat, we may find ourselves living underground like the mole people.

Fortunately it seems a scientist is taking this research seriously and is developing a radiation detection device to warn astronauts when it is unsafe to stroll outside.

(SpaceRef.com) Pisacane, along with other faculty and midshipmen of the USNA, is developing a radiation detection and assessment system, called a microdosimeter, in partnership with NSBRI. The instrument will measure radiation doses on the cellular level and help determine regulatory dose limits for scientific and medical purposes.

“In space, we can’t predict when radiation events occur nor their severity, so it’s crucial to develop a rugged, light-weight, portable system that can make real-time measurements of radiation environments,” said Pisacane, R.A. Heinlein Professor of Aerospace Engineering in USNA’s Aerospace Engineering Department. “Spacesuits and spacecrafts integrated with microdosimeter sensors can help assess risk, provide warning at the onset of enhanced radiation so astronauts can take protective action, and help crews determine safe locations during these periods.”

Although both the Moon and Mars lack a global magnetic field, their fields have enough strength to provide certain zones of protection, respectively.

Unless humanity can figure out a way to create an artificial magnetic field for a planet (or enhance the world’s current field), humanity may have to resort to living within shielded biospheres indefinitely.

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One of the few things keeping the human body from freezing, burning and drying to death is the “ever lovable” spacesuit. Despite the benefit they provide towards astronauts, the suits themselves are quite bulky, making it less comfortable to actually work on the lunar surface.

One researcher is going about to change all of this, by giving these suits a complete makeover.

(Red Orbit) “I can’t tell you how many times I watched the astronauts fall down on the lunar videos,” she joked. “Obviously, it isn’t meant to be funny. But it’s difficult for them to get up with the survival pack on their back and those bulky suits. We’re hoping our new research projects will lead to a streamlined space suit that makes it easy to navigate the terrain.” [...]

“For one thing, it’s clear that the placement of the life support pack is too high on the astronaut,” Scott-Pandorf said. “Possible redesign ideas are to alter the pack to fit the front and back of the space suit evenly or create a pack that attaches closer to the waist, which would lower the astronaut’s center of gravity. It’s the same idea as if you were balancing on a surf board bending your knees and staying low. This lowers your center of mass and allows you more stability.”

After watching the videos is fairly obvious that NASA’s spacesuits were designed more to do a job (i.e. keep the astronauts alive) than to actually be comfortable.

With the private sector becoming more serious about transporting humans into space, comfortable spacesuits will increasingly be apart of the menu (as space tourists would probably enjoy the Moon more on their feet than on their face).

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If an observer were to dip their head inside the space industry, one would notice the rush to settle humanity either on the Moon, Mars or upon future space stations orbiting Earth. There seems to be a mass movement dedicated towards ensuring that our species establishes a “beta home” elsewhere, just in case we are wiped out from either an asteroid or a biological and/or nuclear war.

But if we were even able to settle on other terrestrial bodies tomorrow, would our species be able to survive without Earth?

Unlike the other worlds that orbit our star, Earth lies in what many scientists regard as the habitable zone. Within this region of space, a planet hosting a friendly atmosphere can have liquid waters gracing its surface, an important feature enabling complex ecosystems to survive (let alone thrive).

Other worlds such as Mars lie outside of this zone, and despite showing signs of harboring liquid water within its soils, it lacks the sufficient temperature to maintain water in this state upon its surface. Although some argue that aggressive terraforming could alter Mars into a second Earth, it would take at least a thousand years (if not longer) to transform this barren world, not to mention trillions of dollars.

Unlike most other rocky bodies in the solar system, Earth also boasts a magnetosphere, a key ingredient required for living organisms as cosmic radiation is not known to be healthy. Although both the Moon and Mars each maintain an active magnetosphere, neither are strong enough to cover their entire worlds, respectively.

Even though Mercury and Jupiter’s moon Ganymede boast a global magnetosphere, both are either too close or too far away from the sun to host vibrant environments for plants and animals, at least in the near future.

Unlike Earth, most (if not all) of the worlds and moons that orbit the Sun do not harbor soils that are generally friendly towards plant life. Although Mars is often regarded by many as humanities second home, its soil may be too toxic for growing plants upon it directly.

Despite the fact that our lunar neighbor shows some promise (however small), it lacks large bodies of water necessary to support life on that airless body.

Even if humanity were able to transport millions of people upon the Moon and Mars, and yet lose Earth, our species would probably face the cold reality of extinction. Establishing colonies upon other worlds is no guarantee towards our survival abroad, as colonies would still be dependent upon Earth for tons of fertile soil for growing grain (as well as animals for meat) in the near and distant future.

Whether by cosmic chance or divine will, Earth is the oasis of the solar system, the only world capable of supporting life without the need of biospheres (something we still have not perfected). Earth is the “only Eden” that humanity has, whether we like it or not. Outer space is an opportunity for our species, one that can drastically improve life upon our home world whether it be through energy, communication, agriculture or medicine.

But space (with all of its resources) could never replace our world, and if our species can not take care of our Earthen cradle, then there is no guarantee that will be fit enough to survive on a second world.

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One of the basic building blocks of a space elevator are carbon nanotubes (or CNT). Despite their promise of making the space elevator feasible, unless the CNT ribbon can be repaired, space elevators may enjoy a short lifespan due to radiation from the Sun, micrometeorites, and wear and tear from climbers traveling up and down the ribbon.

But it seems as if some scientists have discovered unique feature of carbon nanotubes, which may help extend the CNT ribbon’s warranty.

(ScienceDaily) The Rice University-led study offers the first explanation of how such tiny cylinders of carbon, no wider than a strand of DNA, can be so resilient: tiny “blemishes” crawl over the skin of damaged tubes, sewing up larger holes as they go.

“The shape and direction of this imperfection does not change and it never gets any larger,” said Professor Boris Yakobson, the study’s lead investigator. “We were amazed by it, but upon further study we found a good explanation. The atomic irregularity acts as a kind of safety valve, allowing the nanotube to release excess energy, in much the way that a valve allows steam to escape from a kettle.”

If scientists can further exploit this trait, CNT’S could be engineered to last for decades before needing a “tune up.” The space elevator’s current weakness lies along the lines of actually repairing damage to the ribbon, which needs to be seriously addressed in order to avoid the whole structure from collapsing due to the elements as well as friction from the climbers.

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