COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING OF MECHANICAL ENVIRONMENT DURING SPACE FLIGHT

Abstract

The body is a remarkable and complex mechanism that senses and responds immediately to major environmental changes, especially in the presence of dynamic stresses and weightlessness. The intricate and quick response to dynamic stresses and micro--- or zero gravity involves the entire body, and space science is only beginning to piece together a picture of what's going on within the body under these circumstances. When an astronaut enters space, as will be the case during a future voyage to Mars, his or her body undergoes a series of changes that cause the astronaut to feel and appear slightly different. The crew would succumb to massive bone and muscle stress and loss at severe rate as a direct result of exposure to different type of dynamic loads and micro or zero gravity and also Ionizing cosmic radiation would cause cell damage, permanent eyesight difficulties, and psychological and sociological degradation due to isolation. However, previous space travel experiences by crews in the United States and the former Soviet Union have shown that humans can survive space journeys lasting many months, if not a year. This research will identify the physical and psychological components of a manned voyage to space as well as countermeasures and prevention techniques to address many of the issues that come with long-term space exposure. Furthermore, the International Space Station (ISS) plays a critical role in determining the health risks of sending humans into space.