Could human hibering be a solution to long space travel?

Traveling to space has always been a great purpose of humanity. The space race between the United States and Russia has increased technological and strategic advances, but we are still faced with many difficulties for longer travel. Just like in the movies, Is it possible to develop a technology that will allow the crew of the crew to allow?

The United States of the United States Aviation and Space National Administration (NASA) was the only area that sent human duties to the moon; To date, the farthest celestial body obtained by humanity. But why don’t we go to other places yet? The main challenge is that other planets are thousands or even millions of kilometers from Earth.

A trip to Mars was planned for years, but still faced a few difficulties. Experts, even I’m not talking about the return, just estimate that the journey can take about nine months. This means that a manned task will require astronauts to spend years in space.

Mars may not be the best example, as astronauts can withstand a nine -month trip without great difficulties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xptpxsttgsy

For example, if we want to send a crew to the nearest outer planet next to Centauri B, Since the task is approximately 4.2 light years away from the Earth, it can only live with one hibernation system.

For you to get an idea, each light year is about 9.5 trillion kilometers, which is not possible for people with existing technology. After all, they would not survive enough time or they would not pass through a small part of this route.

Another problem is the speed of human ships. Even like Voyager 1 probe, it reaches only thousands of kilometers per hour. This value is extremely low for a trip to Proxima B, The journey at these speeds can take almost 75,000 years. This shows that it is not possible to send people to the distant areas of space without technological advances and hibernation.

Or As far as we know, there is nothing unique in Homo sapiens that prevents our Hibernar species, and I believe that this capacity exists, but it needs to be enabled. The real question for me is not if we can go to hibernation, but how … What is the time to sleep in hibernation of neurons in the hypothalamus? Who warns them? This is the real question ..

Human Winter Sleep for Space Travel

The idea of ​​human hibernation is similar to those who have hibernated animals such as some bears, fences and frogs. In this case, they pass through various physiological processes that allow them to survive for months without eating for months to save energy to survive in winter.

In human hibernation, travelers would become a ‘suspended animation’ as if they were sleeping for a long time until they achieved their goals. During this process, Metabolism will greatly decrease and breathing and heartbeat decreased to save energy.

At the same time, isolate for a long time allows mental discomfort and even psychological crises in the crew, allowing to reduce the psychological effects of travel to long distances.

Waiting is a recurrent science fiction theme and is a part of the stories in movies, books and video games. A classic example is the alien feature that USCSS Nostroma Nave teams stayed in this situation until they reach their arrival points (Ridley Scott, 1979).

Like other technologies that emerge in fiction, hibernation is a theme that is already examined by scientists. In a message on the astronomy website, Sandy Martin, a professor of cell biology at the University of Colorado, explains that ‘suspended animation’ will reduce the need for food, water, oxygen and other physiological processes.

“I believe that, if not always, I believe that there will be a change that will see or accept a change that will accept to wait for a few months compared to spending this time in very strict areas. [em um voo espacial de longa duração] In no way, Mart Martin explains.

There are many difficulties to be overcome to make this situation in an applicable option; Whether there are risks for technology or for human life.

Is it possible to wait in order?

Space, European Space Agency Researcher (ESA), Jennifer NGO-Anh, The first studies on waiting in humans may become applicable in about ten years. These experiments can help scientists evaluate the likelihood of sending people to long -term space travel.

In an article published in neuroscience and Biobavioral Reviews Scientific magazine, NGO-Anh Esa explains the approach to the presentation research. Even some studies have been able to induce waiting in animals that do not normally go to hibernation, such as rats. Mice were successful after this induced situation.

Despite the developments, there are many difficulties to be overcome. In the case of rats, hibernation induction, which may pose a risk for the health of animals in the long term, should be kept continuously. For humans, the difficulties of this induction are more complex and require solutions that have not yet been found.

Human Winter Sleep

There are hundreds of problems that prevent waiting, some have been accepted as more critical:

• Health of the crew due to the effect of micro gravity;
• Psychological problems such as loneliness, claustrophobia and coexistence disorders;
• Ships with reduced area and limited infrastructure;
• Aging is not a kind of immortality for ready -to -wait – how the body will behave is still unclear;
• Addiction to automatic systems.

For example, One of the biggest challenges is the limitation of medical equipment and the area reduced in a spacecraft. It travels thousands of kilometers from the Earth. If something like a malfunction in this equipment goes wrong, only artificial intelligence would be available to solve the problem, which may not be enough.

In addition, the health of astronauts is a critical factor in this scenario. It can cause negative effects and vision problems such as micro gravity environment, bone and muscle loss. Current research, These effects may occur, even if astronauts are in a long rest as they are in hibernation.

Anyway, NGO-Anh believes that hibernation is the only way to make manned duties possible for the distant areas of the universe. After all, a person can live for more than 100 years, an insignificant time on cosmic distances. For this reason, researchers plan to investigate the theme to ensure that people are ready.

Lack of gravity affects bones, muscles and even the vision of people in space; It’s a problem we can’t solve yet. Do you want to know more? Know the effects of space journey on the body of astronauts. Until next time!