We are all space travellers flying around the Sun at 107,000 km per hour. Our spaceship is the Earth and our bodies have evolved to live on this amazing craft.
We now have the capability of leaving planet Earth. However, if man is to live in space and travel to other planets, we must learn how to survive for long periods of time out there; we have to recreate in space the vital ingredients for life on Earth. Future space vehicles and space habitats will need advanced life support systems that minimise the need for external supplies.
On the International Space Station many of the Earth’s environmental support systems have already been engineered. Examining how some of these key technologies work, allows us to understand the vital ingredients that make Earth such an ideal place to live.
In this programme we shall explore how the European Space Agency (ESA) is dealing with these scientific and technological challenges, and we will answer questions like: why do we need water and oxygen? How do astronauts get the oxygen they need to survive in space? What are the consequences of weightlessness for our bones and muscles?
The programme is presented by life scientist Nicole Sentse, whose work for ESA gives her a profound insight into why the Earth is ‘a planet just right for life’; while giving us an insider’s view of how ESA is preparing for living in space for long periods of time.
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