![]() These levels are very unhealthy in the short term and can cause cancer in the long term. When in interplanetary space, astronauts don’t have the Earth’s magnetic field to protect them from cosmic radiation and they will be exposed to much higher levels than on Earth. A trip to Mars will take around six months, and a trip to Titan even longer. One of the technical challenges that needs to be addressed for travel to places like Mars and Titan is how to deal with the increased radiation from space that astronauts are exposed to. Titan is probably more likely to contain extraterrestrial life than Mars, so it would be an interesting place to visit. It is very Earth-like, and contains lots of nitrogen, methane and water (and as a result of the water, lots of oxygen and hydrogen). Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is also an interesting place. Certainly a trip to Mars is a good near-term goal. How far do you think humans can ultimately go in space, and how does the future inspire you as an engineer and teacher?Ī. So, space travel gas stations and hotels are a definite possibility on the moon! An independent study has indicated that NASA may be taking on too much if it is focused simultaneously on both lunar and Mars missions. The presence of water in craters on the poles of the moon means that commercial rocket fuel production and long-term human habitation could take place on the moon. I would like to see NASA concentrate on a Mars mission and let industry focus on commercial enterprises on the moon. NASA has always done a great job of working on long-term, high-risk research and exploration. NASA has plans to put humans back on the moon by 2024 and Mars by 2033. Ironically, exploration often leads us to learn more about the place that we travel from and so this reminds us that investments in exploration need to be made in parallel to improving life for ourselves on Earth and for those around us. The early exploration of our oceans and distant lands was also expensive and risky, but early explorers accepted this in the name of exploration, just like our astronauts do today. Exploration is always expensive and risky, but we do it to find out more about the world and universe that we live in. Do you think we should continue to send humans into space beyond Earth’s orbit?Ī. Going back to the moon and on to Mars will be expensive and risky. It is a good lesson that we don’t need to be too dependent on computers when designing aerospace systems and that we should always manually check any computer calculations. But if an engineer has a good understanding of the fundamentals, and is good at math, then very complex problems can be solved. So much of our modern aerospace engineering design depends on computers. I think one of the most important takeaways is that amazing technology can be designed by people without computers. For a rocket that was developed in the ’60s, these are some amazing statistics. To this day, it is the only rocket that has carried humans beyond low Earth orbit. Saturn V was just amazing it was 36 stories high, 33 feet in diameter and could lift 260,000 pounds into low Earth orbit. Historically, since the beginning of the space race, only 90% of rockets have made it to space. Saturn V had a 100% success rate over its 13 flights. The Saturn V was one of the most successful rockets of all time. We do study the Apollo program, and in particular the great Saturn V rocket. I teach spacecraft design to mechanical and aerospace engineering students. ![]() Have you talked with your students or held classes on the importance of the Apollo program? What is your takeaway in terms of what we gained from the missions?Ī. It is experiences like these that inspired many children to pursue aerospace engineering, and engineering in general. The shuttle program captured the imagination of people all over the world, much the same way that Apollo did. At the age of 11, I remember standing in the front yard of my house in the twilight of sunset and using binoculars to watch the shuttle orbiter fly over. The rate of technology development during Apollo was high, and to this day, we benefit from those advances computer control of complex machines, solar panels and cordless tools are just some examples.Īs a young kid growing up in Australia, my first space memories are of the space shuttle program (which directly benefitted from the advances of Apollo). The Apollo program showed us that great things are possible if we all work together toward a common goal. I was too young to remember the Apollo program, but the program had a profound effect on aerospace engineering and society in general. How has the space program influenced you as an aerospace engineer?Ī.
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