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What
lies beyond the year 2000? Space Travel
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It may be necessary in the future to spend a very long time in space if you want to travel anywhere really worthwhile. This would mean that water and food would be needed on the vessel, comfort would be needed, long term propulsion systems, specialists like doctors, some sort of communication with Earth and air. A lot of these are big problems. Some long term propulsion systems are on our Future Space Travel Technologies page. With food, already plans are being made for the future
for astronauts to be able to grow their own food on board. Not only will the plants
that they grow supply them with food, it will also supply them with oxygen and get rid of
some of the carbon dioxide aboard. A variety of nice food can also create a higher
morale than if if was the same tasteless thing day after day. Unfortunately, meet
would be a little more hard as the animals would take up food, air and water that the
astronauts could be using and also the matter of having to slaughter the animals.
Another, harder on the stomach alternative would be insects. They reproduce rapidly
and do not take up as much food and water as larger animals like cows. And for air, there are even now commercial products available known as re-breathers. These have been designed for divers. They recycle the Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen. Right now they can be used for only a certain time before the Carbon Dioxide can no longer be recycled. If this technique is applied to a spaceship, then they could stay in space longer, as the would not run out of Oxygen as soon. Some long term propulsion systems can be found on our Future Space Travel Technologies page. Comfort for long term astronauts would be needed. This usually means the size of the ship would be greater, requiring more fuel and more power. However, comfort can be fit into a small area easily. Specialists such as doctors would be required. This would be easy enough. Also, people like scientists may be needed, engineers, and others would also be needed. The more people that are on the ship, the faster the oxygen will go.
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