Grappling with Gravity: How Will Life Adapt to Living in Space?

284 Pages·2012·10.14 MB·English

by  Robert W. Phillips (auth.)

Astronomers’ Universe
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Robert W. Phillips
Grappling with Gravity
How Will Life Adapt to Living
in Space?
Robert W. Phillips
Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
[email protected]
Please note that additional material for this book can be downloaded from
http://extras.springer.com
ISSN 1614-659X
ISBN 978-1-4419-6898-2 e-ISBN 978-1-4419-6899-9
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-6899-9
Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011937452
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To Nancy,
For everything.
Without her support and help
this book would not exist.
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Acknowledgements
Without the astronauts/cosmonauts and their dedicated work in
space, this book could not have been written. My wife Nancy has
made innumerable corrections and suggestions while repeatedly
reading drafts of the manuscript. In addition to her input, the great-
est single contributor to the book is F. D. (Denny) Giddings, who
transformed my rough concepts into beautiful and illustrative art-
work that can be found throughout the book. Charlie Kerlee’s and
Jay Oats’ skill in editing videos was invaluable.
I greatly appreciate the input from NASA and other col-
leagues who have proofed the manuscript and made many worth-
while suggestions. Joan Vernikos and Tom Dreschel both made
many helpful comments and corrections. Gary Coulter provided a
great deal of help in the chapter on immunology. Mike Hand sug-
gested Chapter two. Doug Parks labored through the manuscript
with me as he helped clarify my thoughts. Al Billington provided
helpful advice. Our son Lex supplied a much needed layperson’s
approach and his son Chris made several valuable suggestions.
Our daughter Logan and her husband Tim Mather contributed
to several portions of the book. I cannot name individually all of
the scientists and researchers whose findings on space-induced
changes are the basis for the book. They are the ones who designed
and flew countless biomedical experiments. I hope that I have cor-
rectly translated their findings. The videos that are so illustrative
are important to the overall appreciation of what happens in space.
Kenichi Ijiri’s videos of breeding fish and Richard Simonds’ copy
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viii Acknowledgements
of the NASA video of adaptation of fish on Skylab are important
as is the quail chick video from Mir provided by colleagues at the
Institute of Biomedical Problems in Russia. Ken Souza of NASA
allowed me to use his pictures of tadpoles during parabolic flight.
Other videos are drawn from NASA archives and spaceflight
experiments depicting changes in behavior while in space or upon
returning. Julie Piotrascke’s editing has greatly improved the flow
of the chapters and the book. I am deeply indebted to all of these
friends and colleagues.
Contents
Part I Space Here We Come
1. A Great New Adventure .................................................. 3
2. The Long Road to Space Flight ........................................ 15
3. Why Go to Space? ............................................................. 25
4. Change and Prosper .......................................................... 41
5. Everything Is Topsy Turvy ............................................... 53
6. Tomorrow’s Tourist Adventures ...................................... 69
Part II Life in Space
7. Taking Your Body to Space ............................................... 97
8. Behavior in Space .............................................................. 137
9. An Essential Activity ....................................................... 155
Part III Preparing for the Future
10. Living Away from Earth ................................................... 185
11. Taking the Plow to Mars .................................................. 217
12. Speculations ...................................................................... 231
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