this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024
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Futurology
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Well duh. We haven't even solved living on the ISS for more than a year at a time yet.
That is primarily an issue with the lack of gravity's effect on the human body. It is hard to get enough exercise to maintain strength in muscles, maintaining bone density, and other bodily functions so that the astronaut can have a regular life back on Earth.
Mars has enough gravity that bodily atrophy should not be a significant issue for people that return, and it shouldn't be an issue at all for people who stay on Mars.
There are a ton of other massive hurdles on Mars, but they are not related to the cautionary limitation on individual's trips to the ISS.
I'm disappointed that the ISS never got a rotating torus module. Maybe Lunar Gateway or one of the upcoming commercial stations will get one.
That type of concept feels like it needs to be its own thing and not a module on a larger station. The added rotational inertia and potential for vibration seem like pretty high risk factors for anything connected that wasn't designed for it.
I hope starship can make a rotating station viable though.
Vast have distant plans for a '110-meter "spinning stick" station'. Their free-flying Haven-1 station could launch as early as next August. I'm excited to see what they do.