In reading Packing for Mars, I found Chapter 3 to be quite
interesting. Can space really make you
lose your mind? The concept of the
astronauts going on a space mission that they have trained for so long and so
hard for and yet while on that mission have some sort of mental break or
euphoric event that would then hinder them completing the mission. It seems like something is wrong there. How can the astronauts who have been through
such vigorous mental and physical training just lose it in the end? Although, the more you think about it the
more it starts to make some sense.
Yes. These astronauts do train
for these missions but really how can you train on things that you will
encounter in space when we can’t duplicate them on Earth. So while they are trained on what to expect
and how to handle a situation that may come up doesn’t mean that they are
necessarily prepared for it.
There really is no way to accurately portray what it will
feel like when you step outside the space shuttle for the first time. Packing for Mars states that “astronauts
train for spacewalks by putting on their EVA suits and rehearsing their moves
while floating in a giant indoor pool called a neutral buoyancy tank.” (71)
This sort of training can only help them so much. It will help get them comfortable wearing
their suits and having to perform tasks in them; but then what happens when it
comes to feeling they get of free falling in space? How can they train for this? I see no way for them to prepare for it. I think I would also have a hard time. Can you imagine stepping outside of the space
shuttle for the first time and seeing nothing around you and having nothing to
hold you but the shuttle space arm you are attached to? I can see why the astronauts could start to lose focus on the mission.
Even though we can train our astronauts the best we can with
the most high tech equipment science can bring about, are they ever going to be
fully ready for when they are launched in space? I don’t believe so. How can they be? The only thing an astronaut can do is their
best. We just hope in the end it is
enough to keep them safe and bring them home sound.
It is quite amazing that they go through so much to prepare them for the mission, and can still have a chance of having a mental break down. I cannot imagine being in space, I can say I would most defiently lose my mind. I agree with you, no one can completely be prepared to handle such a situation. We cannot comprehend something we hardly know anything about, let alone actually being there, stuck in a tiny area with strangers.
ReplyDeleteI also found this chapter to be extremely important to understand that these individuals that train for so many hours to become who they always wanted to be can lose everything mentally when they are in the one place they have always wanted to be in space. I agree completely with the your statement people that are training them cannot prepare them for what is to come. Being in space is completely different then being in a pool. Hopefully though with the testing they do they can find the individuals that are mentally and physically strong enough to do what is needed to be done. Just like chapter one says space is boring.
ReplyDeleteThe passage referring to the astronaut who did not want to return to the shuttle from his spacewalk was quite interesting. I, personally, would be the first person to volunteer for a mission to Mars. The emotional reaction to seeing our planet from that vantage is quite touching. One can only imagine the thinking at that point and reflection on life and existence. The importance of tinkering with bolts and reflectors is understandably diminished.
ReplyDeleteI also choose this chapter for this blog. They did a lot of practices on the earth, but they will meet any new problem that they never practiced before in the universe. The universe always attract me a lot, but I cannot image if one day I can go to the universe for even a few days. The requirement to the psychology to bear ability is very high.
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