M: Hello, Im Marlow and this is Gabriella from WGHS.

Today well be
answering the question- How could humans survive in Space.
G: The longest continuous amount of time a human has spent in space is
437 days. That was done by Valeri Polyakov, almost 20 years ago.
However, if we want people to live in Space, we must carry out further
research to extend this milestone.
M: We considered four main topics- Breathing, Health, Protection from
Hazards Hygiene. Firstly, we considered how humans would get oxygenthis being a basic necessity for our survival.
G: To survive in space, theyd have to make oxygen. On the ISS, Oxygen
generators are used. These devices make oxygen from water by a process
called electrolysis, when an electric current passes through water from
one positively-charged electrode to another negatively-charged electrode.
M: Theres a small concentration of salt in the water, to ensure a
continuous production of oxygen. In the process, water gets split into
hydrogen and oxygen, which are both gases. The oxygen is vented into
the cabin air system, known as the Oxygen Generation System, while
hydrogen, which is explosive, is vented externally.
G: This isnt just on the ISS, but also across other forms of space
transportation and living quarters. When we breathe in oxygen, we
breathe out carbon dioxide, and a build up of this could be a problem. But
how do they get rid of the CO2?
M: Carbon dioxide is removed from the air by a machine based on
materials called zeolites work in the same way as a sieve. These
molecular sieves remove the excess CO2 which is vented into Space.
G: The CO2 that isnt removed is used to grow food. The international
Space Station has looked at possible ways of growing food in Space. Some
of the vegetables theyve grown are Lettuce, peas and radishes - but how
have they done this?
M: The experiment, known as the Lada Validating Vegetable Production
Unit, uses a simple chamber similar to a greenhouse. The water and light
levels are controlled automatically. This experiment has five main
objectives:
G: First: To find out if the produce grown in space can be consumed safely;
what types of microorganisms might grow on the plants and what can be
done to reduce the threat of microorganisms in the hardware prior to
launch; what can be done to clean or sanitize the produce after it has
been harvested; and how to optimize production compared to the
resources required to grow it.
M: The collapsible and expandable Veggie unit, used to grow these
vegetables, features a flat panel light bank that includes red, blue and
green LEDs for plant growth and crew observation. Using LED lights to
grow plants has been done by NASA as far back as the 1990s.
G: The purple/pinkish hue surrounding the plants in Veggie is the result
of a combination of the red and blue lights, which is needed to make
plants grow. They also use green LEDs, so they can easily compare them
to plants on Earth.
M: Plants are typically in weightless but in pressurized controlled
environment in specific space gardens. They can be used for food or

refreshing the atmosphere. Plants can scrub carbon dioxide and return
oxygen, as well as adjust humidity.
G: As you can see from this quote by Dr. Ray Wheeler, head Advanced Life
Support research at NASA, there is a great benefit for the astronauts to
grow fresh produce.
M: But obviously, living in space isn't the same as living on Earth. In Space
astronauts bodies change. On earth, our lower body and legs carry
weight. This helps keep our bones and muscles strong. Whereas in Space
astronauts float, this means they dont use their legs, and their lower
backs and legs muscles begin to lose strength. The bones begin to
become weak and thin. This is bad for their bodies, which means they
must exercise is space everyday, just to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
G: The heart and blood change in Space too. When we stand up on Earth,
the blood goes to our legs, the heart has to work extra hard against
gravity, to move all the blood around the body. In space, without the pull
of gravity, the blood moves through the upper body and head, and water
in the body also does the same thing.
M: It makes the astronauts faces look bloated, and as the blood and water
are fluids in the body, they move from the bottom of the body to the top.
This causes the brain to think that there are too many fluids, and it will tell
the body to make less.
G: When the astronauts come back to earth, they don't have enough fluids
in their system, so it takes a few days to readjust to life on Earth and
make more fluids. If the astronauts dont have enough fluids for life on
earth, they can feel very weak, and could potentially faint.
M: Radiation in space takes the form of subatomic particles from the sun
as well as from sources in the Milky Way galaxy and beyond.
G: These high-speed particles from the sun damage DNA, leading to
mutations. These mutations can lead to higher risk of developing cancers
or other diseases. But for people outside the protection of the Earth's
magnetic field, space radiation becomes a serious hazard.
M: The Mars rover discovered that the radiation dose received by an
astronaut would be about the same as receiving a whole-body CT scan
every five or six days. Being exposed to high level radiations regularly
could increase your chance of developing fatal cancers. The normal daily
radiation dose received by the average person living on Earth is less than
a 6th of what an astronaut would receive.
G: Space is a vacuum which means theres no atmosphere. So in order for
humans to survive in space, the International Space Station, and other
living areas would have to be pressurized. With no atmosphere humans
would die immediately, and implode on themselves. The moon has no
atmosphere and a very weak magnetic field. Astronauts living there would
have to provide their own protection, for example by burying their habitat
underground.
M: Mars has no global magnetic field. Particles from the sun have stripped
away most of Mars atmosphere, resulting in very poor protection against
radiation at the surface. There are more than half a million pieces of
Space debris, Space Junk like old satellites and spent rockets, which orbit
the Earth. The ISS has to avoid these. The rising amount of Space debris,

means theres an increasing risk of damage to Space vehicles. Events

known as Space Weather are hazardous to astronauts in Space. Space
weather can produce Solar Storms.
G: We observe these phenomena on Earth as the Northern Lights. When
more powerful these can lead to short circuiting electrics, disrupting
power lines, causing wide-spread blackouts and affecting communication
cables that support the Internet. If this is the effect on the Earth, which is
shielded by the atmosphere then imagine the impact it can have on the
ISS, which is not in the safety of the atmosphere.
M: On Earth, hygiene is a big issue, but staying clean takes more work in
Space. In Space astronauts have their own versions of toiletries- kept in
Personal Hygiene Kits. As there are no sinks in space, when brushing their
teeth, astronauts have to spit into washcloths.
G: People take baths differently too, astronauts use special kinds of soap
and shampoo which dont need water to rinse. Astronauts must use soaps
carefully, as they cannot let soap bubbles go all over the place. After
washing they use a towel to dry off. These special soaps were first made
for hospitals for patients with disabilities who cannot easily access water
M: In space, astronauts live in a very small environment. They have to
keep their area clean in space just like we do on Earth. They have to use
wet wipes and soap, to clean all surfaces and utensils.
G: Astronauts have to take out the rubbish, too. There are four trash bins
on the Space Shuttle. Three are for dry trash and one is for wet trash. Wet
trash is anything that could smell bad. If the bag is full it is moved far
away from the astronauts.
M: Astronauts also have to clean the ISS. They use a vacuum cleaner to
clean their environment but to keep dust out of the air filters. Astronauts
use the vacuum to "catch" floating objects which have got loose. Using
the vacuum cleaner means that they can reach things that are otherwise
too far away.
G: We have considered 4 main topics- Breathing, Health, Protection from
Hazards in space and Hygiene. These all must be discussed and carefully
controlled if a human were to live in Space. Thank you for listening- Were
happy to answer any questions.