Astronauts of the Future

A prominent theme in sci-fi settings is in space and I have no doubt that my animation is going to be set in space somewhere. What I have been thinking over is the affect the future technologies I discussed earlier will have on the astronauts of the future, those who actively work in space or at least those who go to space.

It may be that in the future, advanced robots may instead be sent up to do the work of astronauts. Space is costly to get to and a dangerous environment to be in. Robots would be lower maintenance, with no food requirements and no sleep requirements. It may be that they have to substitute that for a power source or something else, but the advantages of it are obvious.

"Capable of carrying crew and cargo to the space station, Orion will be shaped like cone-shaped space capsules of the past, but it will take advantage of 21st century technology in computers, electronics, life support, propulsion devices and heat protection systems. It will be able to rendezvous with a lunar landing module and an Earth departure stage in low-Earth orbit to carry crews to the moon and, one day, to Mars-bound vehicles assembled in low-Earth orbit.

Orion will be the Earth entry vehicle for lunar and Mars returns. TRC Inc. and IBRL will help NASA study and understand the potential injury risks associated with different landing scenarios. The NASA Project Leader summed it up as "This is truly a critical effort that is at the top of the space suit element list of priorities."

http://www.trcpg.com/future-space-travelers.aspx

This is an idea in development and the concept behind the beginning of future space exploration and colonization. The space suits of today seem clunky, like an old diving suit.

In the future, or at least in my setting, I want humans to be advanced enough to be using newer, smarter technologies that eliminate some of the problems modern astronauts face.

Atrophy: a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from disuse. An astronaut's muscles can atrophy after time in space.

Cosmic radiation: high-energy radiation that is emitted from the sun to all directions in space. Humans in space need some protection, especially during times of high solar activity

Countermeasure: a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. Astronauts exercise as much as two hours a day with special equipment as a countermeasure against bone loss and muscle atrophy.

Demineralization: the loss, deprivation, or removal of minerals or mineral salts from the body, especially through disease, as the loss of calcium from bones or teeth. Since this happens during prolonged exposure to the microgravity of space, nutritionists work to improve levels of calcium and other minerals in space diets.

Distill: to heat a liquid to make it a gas and then to cool the gas back to a liquid so that it is pure. One way to minimize the amount of water that has to be supplied from the earth is to distill waste water and fluids back into drinking water.

Fluid: a substance, as a liquid or gas, that is capable of flowing. Ordinary methods of dealing with fluids, such a pouring, will not work in space.

Microgravity: in the freefall of orbit, a person experiences a slight gravitational attraction to the earth called microgravity, although the overall sensation is that of being weightless.

Nutrition: the science or study that deals with food and nourishment, especially in humans. Good nutrition is important in an astronaut's food choice to maintain health and prevent bone loss in space.

Orbit: to move or travel around a central object in an orbital or elliptical path. The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days. The space shuttle orbits the earth every 90 minutes.

Physiology: the branch of biology dealing with the functions and activities of living organisms and their parts, including all physical and chemical processes. One of the major activities on the space station is to study the changes in physiology brought on by living in a near-weightless environment.

Recycle: to treat or process used or waste materials so as to make suitable for reuse. Astronauts recycle water to minimize the amount that must be carried into space and stored.

Weightless: the condition of being in a continual freefall during orbit so that all sense of gravitational attraction is lost. Astronauts need some time to get used to being weightless in space. They are able to move and install very large parts of the space station because these parts, which weigh several tons on earth, are weightless in space.