2006-08-01 17:58:52 · 14 answers · asked by nicole 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
One big problem is that we don't know where we are going.
Humans wouldn't explore space just to see what was out there. We would want to find worlds capable of sustaining human life, and planets / asteroids that would boost our economy.
Where are these planets? We just don't know. We know where some 53 odd extra solar planets are, but we don't know anything else about them.
This is why missions like NASA's planned Terrestrial Planet Finder are so important. Before we set off to explore the universe, we need to get some idea of where to start.
The other big problem is one of sheer scale. Our galaxy alone is about 100,000 light years across. Even if we could travel at 186,000 miles per second we won't be able to explore more than just a few stars in one human lifetime. And we just can't. The laws of physics - as we understand them - prevent that.
There are decent theories on faster than light travel, such as the Alcubierre Drive, but no one currently has any idea on how these theories could be tested. Certainly not with present day technology.
Read more on the Alcubierre Drive here:
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/Alcubdrive.html
Read more on the Terrestrial Planet Finder here:
http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/TPF/tpf_index.cfm
- Cai
2006-08-05 18:49:51 · answer #1 · answered by cailano 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The main problem is staying alive, having enough air, water, and food...This can be overcome by sending robotic missions, or by sending man in suspend modes where they sleep during the travel greatly reducing the weight and need for air, water, and food...of course man would have to endure each other in close quarters for a long space trip also, which may make interesting social experiment....There is also a weight/ fuel factor which has to be overcome..it requires a lot of fuel to overcome both the space crafts weight and the pull of earths gravity......We have the technology for short space trips but not long trips...There is also the Van Allen radiation belts that surround near earth that the space ship would have to be protected from, then there is the asteroid belt just past Mars that the space ship would have to avoid hitting...there are still two other problems...distances is one, the Galaxy alone is enormous, 100,000 light years across...our nearest star Alpha Centauri is 4 light years away and IF we could travel even at 1/4 light speed it would take 32 years round trip.....there is also time, according to Einstein, time slows for a traveler as he or she, approaches light speed (186,000 miles per second)...alot to consider on long space flights: staying alive, social interaction, distances, fuel, and time........
2006-08-09 08:18:37 · answer #2 · answered by ka5flm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say the main problem with space exploration is the lack of curiousity exhibited by the majority of people relating to the subject who feel that money is better spent on us now. If more people desired to see humans explore space, there would be more research into how we could acheive this.
2006-08-01 18:46:09 · answer #3 · answered by monarenee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are more than 7 problems of space expolariton wich "I'have in my mind".
1.How live in space for long.
2.We don't know the path excactly because the path can be crossed by metriods.
3.The deep cold of space after crossing the boundries where sun's heat can't reach.
4.After crossing the solar system the space crafts speed will decrease a little bit.
5.The black mater wich we do'nt know excatly what it is.
6.We don't have space crafts wich can cross the boundreis of moon yet.
7.We don't have information or technolgy to protect our space carft after crossing the boundries of our sloar system.because there will be mater it will sitck with space craft it will becume a large ice ball.
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2006-08-01 18:34:25 · answer #4 · answered by k.akbar_baig1980 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man could not live longer in her life and may be that's the problem. If we can live for just a thousands of years we can travel anywhere in the universe and explore it.
2006-08-09 17:36:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of the most under-rated problems is that of space psychology. Astronauts have many conflicts when they are in outer space... believe it or not.
2006-08-01 20:34:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Until Virgin Airlines figures out how to charge for a seat to Alpha Centauri,we are stuck around here.
2006-08-09 09:59:10 · answer #7 · answered by Stevie Harper 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fuel, speed, food, oxygen.so many things would have to be figured out in order to make long term exploration possible, navigation would also be very difficult.if you were off in your calculations , you could end up hundreds of light years from your destination.
2006-08-01 20:20:34 · answer #8 · answered by retrac_enyaw03 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chemical fuel is not a satisfactory propellant being the main problem....Lack of gravity and radiation exposure are two more
unsolved and serious problems...
2006-08-01 18:23:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
music. think about it if you put rock stars in space we could creat the best concert in the univers. called lunerfest. and only 7 milloun people could go every year. but this has nothing to do with the question does it? or does it have everything to do with the question.? think about it.................
2006-08-09 08:59:34 · answer #10 · answered by mrtophat24 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋