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Writer's pictureThe Karan Pargaien

How Dangerous is Space?

We gossips a lot about Space and Astronomy. But do you know that Space is dangerous? Really very dangerous for us. What are some dangers related to space and how much dangerous is space for us? We will see in the following article. Let's go deeper.



In space, there is no atmosphere. Humans need around 12 to 14 psi of atmospheric pressure to be comfortable. The outside atmosphere is nearly infinite over time. So, if you have any tiny, tiny, tiny leak, all your air is going to leak out. And if the leak isn’t intended, it can be a weak point in a structure, and the pressure differential can cause that tiny leak to burst the structure, and then you have an explosive decompression. No more air.


Second, thermal control on Earth is mostly performed by transmitting through structures and then air. In space, there is no air to take the heat away. So, when you have a big heat source, like sun, it starts to cook whatever it hits. Very reflective surfaces reflect a lot of the light away, but most surfaces also absorb a lot . But, if you heat up one side, and don’t have enough to keep the shadowed/cold side warm, then it can get extremely cold as well. We’re talking really hot, and really cold. Kill the humans kind of heat and cold.


In space, we have the silent killer. The sun is not putting out light which is a form of radiation, but visible and infra-red . It is putting out all different kinds, including ultra-violet . And that’s the nice stuff. Close to the Earth , the Earth’s magnetic field helps protect from some of the charged particle radiation, but it is still orders of magnitude higher than on the surface. Then, as you go higher, you get less and less protection.


Next, we have the zero-g effect. People are used to living on the Earth’s surface, where gravity acceleration is about 10 m/sec^2. And it isn’t just being used to it mentally, or accidently floating away. It’s been documented that your body starts doing strange things when you are in zero g for extended periods of time.


Here are some of the dangers while space travel:

  • Cold

  • Decompression

  • Bone/eye/muscle deterioration

  • Radiation

  • Space junk hitting you/your ship

  • Missing your target and floating forever

  • Running out of oxygen/food/water

  • Going crazy from being in a tiny capsule for too long


The End Notes

The dangers of space are infinite, the space is itself infinite. We live in a well optimized environment, but the space is entirely different. That's all in this article. I hope you liked it. Please share your views in the comment section and tell me that why we don't throw out trash/waste in Space? I will really appreciate your comments. Cheers!

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