SPACE TRAVEL 101:
      FUNDAMENTALS OF SPACE TRAVEL
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 Life Support

Introduction

Traveling through space requires a spacecraft that is prepared with the proper materials and environment to ensure your survival. Life support systems provide waste removal, water, and air through various chemical reactions and filters. They also supply food, temperature control, and fire safety. Due to space and weight restrictions, everything must operate with minimal energy, volume, and mass.
     
Subsections
 
Overview
     
Food
 
Eating aboard a spacecraft is more than just grabbing some fast-food. Biological, operational, and engineering factors play a part in the types of food that are available in a spacecraft. These factors involve...
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Water
 
At a glance, the water cycling aboard a spacecraft may seem gross, as it may come from distilled urine or moisture from human breath...
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Atmosphere Control
 
Breathing the proper mixture of air is also of utmost importance aboard a spacecraft, where any mishap may put everyone's lives in jeopardy...
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Fire Protection
 
One of the constant and most dangerous hazards in space is the risk of fire. The three main aspects of fire safety are prevention, detection, and suppression. Spacecrafts are equipped with smoke detectors, alarms, and warning lights so...
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Temperature Control
 
Although space can be extremely cold, excess heat can also be a problem. A spacecraft uses heaters to generate heat, insulating materials to conserve heat...
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Waste Removal
 
Because storing large amounts of waste in space uses up a large amount of space and also adds weight to the spaceship, waste is recycled as much as possible...
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