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Education Task Force
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The Terraforming Information Pages
Discovering the Final Frontier of the 21st Century
An Elastic Counter Pressure Space Suit For The Exploration Of Mars
Comparing NASA and ESA Cost Estimating Methods for Human Missions to Mars
Red Colony
Kotliar, I.1 and Prokopov, A. (2001)
Benefits of Modified Breathing Air for Spacecraft and Planetary Habitats
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In: On to Mars, Colonizing a New World, edited by Zubrin, RM, and Crossman, F. Apogee Books.
Residents of high altitude demonstrate normal physiological characteristics and show increased vitality and lesser morbidity . Subjects acclimatized to a low O2 (hypoxic) environment (corresponds to 14.5 – 11 % O2 at the sea level) exhibited enhanced physical endurance and increased resistance to stress – inducing and damaging factors and accelerated recovery in a variety of conditions. Hypoxic stimulation reactivates the O2 - saving genetic program, which is active in all mammal cells during embryonic development, when O2 partial pressure in the uterus is comparable to that in the high mountains.
CO2 deficiency (hypocapnia) is a regular component of general stress reaction and is harmful for normal physiological functions. Positive effects of moderately increased CO2 (physiological hypercapnia) are well documented. CO2 has direct antioxidative action, suppressing production of superoxid - anion radicals in the mitochondria, and neutralizing the highly - aggressive radical peroxynitrit. Application of normobaric moderately hypoxic - hypercapnic environment in manned space exploration has following biological benefits:
1. Adaptation to hypoxia result in significant enhancement of general stress - tolerance and improves general health, which increase operational reliability of crew.
2. Adaptation to hypoxia economizes oxidative metabolism, with significant reduction both of O2 and food consumption, but without productivity decline or health hazard. It can have a special value in emergency and in long - termed interplanetary space missions, where amount of life - supporting resources is limited.
3. Inhalation of air with O2 concentration 8.5 - 10 % is proven to induce radioprotective effect against X- rays and g - rays. This effect finds application in cancer radiotherapy for protection of healthy tissues and can be used by astronauts for short - time radioprotection in urgent situations.
4. Hypercapnic atmosphere in the greenhouse result in significant increase of plant productivity.
KEY WORDS : adaptation, antioxidative system, growth hormone, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hypogravity deconditioning, life support system, normobaric hypoxic environment, operational reliability, radioprotection, space exploration.
CO2 deficiency (hypocapnia) is a regular component of general stress reaction and is harmful for normal physiological functions. Positive effects of moderately increased CO2 (physiological hypercapnia) are well documented. CO2 has direct antioxidative action, suppressing production of superoxid - anion radicals in the mitochondria, and neutralizing the highly - aggressive radical peroxynitrit. Application of normobaric moderately hypoxic - hypercapnic environment in manned space exploration has following biological benefits:
1. Adaptation to hypoxia result in significant enhancement of general stress - tolerance and improves general health, which increase operational reliability of crew.
2. Adaptation to hypoxia economizes oxidative metabolism, with significant reduction both of O2 and food consumption, but without productivity decline or health hazard. It can have a special value in emergency and in long - termed interplanetary space missions, where amount of life - supporting resources is limited.
3. Inhalation of air with O2 concentration 8.5 - 10 % is proven to induce radioprotective effect against X- rays and g - rays. This effect finds application in cancer radiotherapy for protection of healthy tissues and can be used by astronauts for short - time radioprotection in urgent situations.
4. Hypercapnic atmosphere in the greenhouse result in significant increase of plant productivity.
KEY WORDS : adaptation, antioxidative system, growth hormone, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hypogravity deconditioning, life support system, normobaric hypoxic environment, operational reliability, radioprotection, space exploration.
Human Exploration
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University Rover Challenge Indication of Participation Deadline
Letter By Robert Zubrin Published In Today's New York Times
