User:Brianna Eaddy/sandbox

ASSIGNMENT6

The health effects of space have been well documented through years of research conducted in the field of aerospace medicine. Analog environments similar to those one may experience in space travel (like deep sea submarines) have been used in this research to further explore the relationship between isolation and extreme environments. It is imperative that the health of the crew be maintained as any deviation from baseline may compromise the integrity of the mission as well as the safety of the crew, hence the reason why astronauts have to endure rigorous medical screenings and tests prior to embarking on any missions. It does not take long for the environmental dynamics of spaceflight to commence its toll on the human body; for example, space motion sickness (SMS) - a condition which affects the neurovestibular system and culminates in mild to severe signs and symptoms such as vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and disorientation - plagues almost all space travelers within their first few days in orbit as the body adapts. Space travel can also have a profound impact on the psyche of the crew members as delineated in anecdotal writings composed after their retirement. Space travel can adversely affect the body's natural biological clock (circadian rhythm); sleep patterns causing sleep deprivation and fatigue; and social interaction; consequently, existing in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment for a prolonged amount of time can result in both mental and physical exhaustion. Radiation is perhaps the most insidious health hazard as it is invisible to the naked eye and can cause cancer. Space craft are no longer protected from the sun's radiation as they are positioned above the Earth's magnetic field; the danger of radiation is even more potent when one enters deep space. The hazards of radiation can be ameliorated through protective shielding on the spacecraft, alerts, and dosimetry.

Fortunately, with new and rapidly evolving technological advancements, those in Mission Control are able to monitor the health of their astronauts more closely utilizing telemedicine. One may not be able to completely evade the physiological effects of space flight, but they can be mitigated. For example, medical systems aboard space vessels such as the International Space Station (ISS) are well equipped and designed to counteract the effects of lack of gravity and weightlessness; onboard treadmills can help prevent muscle loss and reduce the risk of developing premature osteoporosis. Additionally, a crew medical officer is appointed for each ISS mission and a flight surgeon is available 24/7 via the ISS Mission Control Center located in Houston, Texas. Although the interactions are intended to take place in real time, communications between the space and terrestrial crew may become delayed - sometimes by as much as 20 minutes - as their distance from each other increases when the spacecraft moves further out of LEO; because of this the crew are trained and need to be prepared to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise on the vessel as the ground crew are hundreds of miles away. As one can see, travelling and possibly living in space poses many challenges.

Added one sentence and citation to Space Exploration Wikipedia page under section 'Living in Space' -

Doarn, CharlesR; Polk, Jd; Shepanek, Marc (2019). "Health challenges including behavioral problems in long-duration spaceflight". Neurology India. 67 (8): 190. doi:10.4103/0028-3886.259116. ISSN 0028-3886.

Article Evaluation

For this assignment I will be evaluating Wikipedia’s “Space exploration” article. I believe the topics discussed in the article are relevant to the subject. Unfortunately some of the information is outdated; as I looked through the references listed at the bottom of the page some of them were from as early as 1998 - 21 years ago. As technology is constantly changing more recent and updated information will be needed to enhance the article. Additionally I think that some of the topics could be expounded on, for example the health risks involved with prolonged space travel. I think the article can be improved by adding more detail to the subtopics as some of them were quite brief.

The article did explain why government organizations and the general public may support the space program but the article did not really express the oppositions’ point of view so I don’t believe this article was entirely neutral. I think the supporter’s viewpoint was overepresented while the oppositions’ viewpoint was not acknowledged. All the citations I clicked on worked and support the viewpoints described in the article and include credible sources such as the NASA website. However I don’t think these sources aren’t neutral; for example the NASA website would not oppose space exploration because space exploration is one of their primary objectives. Evidently NASA would be a biased source as exploring space is one of their main agendas.

The talk page is active, some of the topics discussed included what images should be added to make the page more aesthetically appealing as well as updated some information that is now erroneous due to the passage of time, in addition to discussing the possibility of introducing new topics to the article such as religion and space. This article is rated as a C, meaning there is much room for improvement.