For centuries, humanity has been looking up and thinking. We have been wondering about what is waiting for us up there in the darkness. Some thought it was only the white lights we see at night and the large bright orb we see when we wake up. However, some believed god was living up, in the ‘nothing’. The later-discovered fact was considerably more captivating than we had imagined the space to be. Since then, mankind has launched space projects and missions to explore the unimaginable darkness. However, there are obstacles and constraints that must be overcome, from compelling space conditions to huge distances between any space critter.
The long distances between Earth and other space critters are one of the most significant barriers to space travel. Mars, the closes planet to Earth, is almost 34 million miles away, which makes it extremely difficult to send any spacecraft and humans there. The journey itself to Mars can take anywhere from six to eight months, depending on the spacecraft’s speed. To overcome this barrier, scientists and engineers are looking for new technologies to make spacecraft faster and more efficient, such as nuclear-powered rockets.
Another important barrier that stands between humanity and space exploration is the harshness of space itself. Extreme temperatures, less to no gravity, and high radiation are all potentially hazardous to the mission and crew. The development of space systems that are capable of resisting mentioned circumstances while keeping the mission crew safe is the most critical point for the success of future missions. This involves producing strong materials that can survive extreme temperatures as well as high radiation. The spacecraft must have artificial gravity devices to assist the crew and maintain their health on a certain level.
Outerspace barriers’ significance is undeniably solid, but what about the economical aspect of the missions? One of the other most significant challenges facing space exploration is the cost of the missions. Space missions are incredibly expensive, where only a single mission to Mars could reach tens of billions of dollars. To overcome this barrier, new funds and partnerships between both private and governmental organizations are necessary. Additionally, developing more affordable and efficient launch systems, such as SpaceX’s reusable rockets, would reduce the cost of the missions significantly.
Yet, space debris and the potential for collisions cause an important threat to any space mission. As more and more spacecraft is launched into orbit, the risk of collisions increases. The unused and not destroyed spacecraft continuously float around the orbit and cause a big problem to any space mission that humans will ever do. One solution to this problem is to develop better tracking systems that can monitor the location of debris and prevent collisions. Additionally, developing more sustainable space exploration practices, such as designing spacecraft that can be easily deorbited and disposed of at the end of their mission, could help reduce the amount of debris in space.
To sum up, space travel has been an exciting and important activity that humanity has ever wanted to achieve. Space missions need necessary technical and scientific improvements in order to overcome some barriers and limitations that humanity faces and might face during the launch missions and during the space missions themselves. Humankind can break those barriers and push their limits by coming together, working together, and finding new ways of approaching the problem, we can explore the vast reaches of the cosmos with continuous effort and investment.