Compare the likelihood that an astronaut on Mars will be struck by a meteoroid with its likelihood on earth.?
Several things to consider: 1. There is very little atmosphere on Mars to burn up meteors, so more will strike the ground (and therefore the chances of someone on the surface being struck are higher than on Earth). 2. Mars is smaller in size and in mass, so its gravity is less and will attract fewer meteors. 3. Mars is closer to the asteroid belt and therefore the density of small meteoroids and other debris in the area is higher. All in all, the odds are higher on Mars (but still very VERY small).
How likely was it that the Apollo astronauts would not have been able to come back to Earth?
I believe it was very unlikely that the Apollo astronauts would have failed to return to Earth.As Skip Morrow wrote, the question begs an answer with a percentage.Failure would have been dependent on the situation faced by the crew during the mission. As we witnessed, when an Apollo mission enjoyed success getting to and leaving the moon, then it was almost certain they would return safely to Earth. Change that equation and the chances of not returning to Earth could have increased. How bad would the situation need to have been for an Apollo mission to face poor odds of returning? We actually don't know. Because, as bad as the situation was for Apollo 13, they still returned to Earth. It's no mistake that Apollo was so incredibly successful. The full measure of science and engineering that went into Apollo's success was astounding. The math behind entry to and exit from Earth orbit would make most folks' heads spin. And orbital science is just one piece of the pie. If you've watched the movie Apollo 13, you learned about the pinpoint accuracy required for that crew to re-enter Earth orbit. The wonderful people working in Mission Control, where much of Apollo 13 was staged, did miraculous work engineering fixes so the crew could survive. Thousands of additional support personnel were working behind the scenes to do whatever they could to help those in Mission Control. Add to that the incredible effort and science that went into the research and development of Apollo, and the missions that preceded Apollo, and you begin to appreciate how the seemingly impossible was pulled off.Success was built into Apollo from start to finish. You might even say "Apollo was doomed to succeed."
I'm color blind. Does this ruin my chances of becoming an astronaut?
Unfortunately Abhinav, being color-blind --at least in my understanding of the astronaut selection criteria-- does eliminate you from consideration as a United States astronaut.As an astronaut, many of the things we need to know and understand are related to color. From our caution and warning system, which uses RED for emergencies, and YELLOW for cautions, to our simple packing system which uses GREEN to indicate "return to earth," YELLOW for "send to outer space," and WHITE for "permanent location," colors are a part of our daily lives in space. Not having the physical capability to discern these colors quickly and clearly could impair a crew's ability to respond appropriately and rapidly.Rumor has it that one astronaut was able to "beat the tests" --perhaps it was before being color-blind was a disqualifier-- and garner selection into the astronaut corps, even though he was actually color-blind. If true, that was certainly an exception.But don't despair. The way technology is advancing these days, you never know what may happen in the world of Ophthalmology. It's possible that one day your ability to see in color could be restored.In the meantime, keep lookin' up...
How hard is it to become an astronaut?
Let's look at it from a statistics standpoint.Right now there are five international partners for the ISS: USA, Canada, Japan, Russia, and Europe. The total population of those countries is about 1.4 billion people. USA 313.9 M Canada 34.88 M Japan 127.6 M Russia 143.5 M Europe 739.2 MTotal 1.4BAccording to this wikipedia pageList of space travelers by nameThere have been 536 people that have flown in space. Some of them are from other countries that are not currently ISS partners, so my math will be a little high, but it won't make a difference.536 / 1.4 Billion = 3.83 E-7, or 0.000 000 383, or 0.000 003 83%, or 1 in 2.6 millionTo compare that with some other rare thingsThe odds of winning the powerball lottery: 1 in 175 millionGetting struck by lightning (in the US): 1 in 3,000Having quadruplets naturally: 1 in 700,000Just because it is hard and statistically difficult, if this is something that interests you, then you should go for it! Even if you don't make it, you will have a lot to be proud of, and you will probably find other ways to benefit your country's space program. Good luck!
Has any astronaut gotten lost in space like they show in the movie Gravity (2013)?
Laika (Russian: Лайка;[a] c. 1954 – November 3, 1957) was a Soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space, and the first animal to orbit the Earth. Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, was selected to be the occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 that was launched into outer space on November 3, 1957.Little was known about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, and therefore Laika's survival was not expected. Some scientists believed humans would be unable to survive the launch or the conditions of outer space, so engineers viewed flights by animals as a necessary precursor to human missions.[1] The experiment aimed to prove that a living passenger could survive being launched into orbit and endure micro-gravity, paving the way for human spaceflight and providing scientists with some of the first data on how living organisms react to spaceflight environments.Laika died within hours from overheating, possibly caused by a failure of the central R-7 sustainer to separate from the payload. The true cause and time of her death were not made public until 2002; instead, it was widely reported that she died when her oxygen ran out on day six or, as the Soviet government initially claimed, she was euthanised prior to oxygen depletion.On April 11, 2008, Russian officials unveiled a monument to Laika. A small monument in her honour was built near the military research facility in Moscow that prepared Laika's flight to space. It features a dog standing on top of a rocket. She also appears on the Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow.Laika was lost in space
How much difference is there between a astronaut's mass on earth and on the moon?
There is no difference in an astronaut's mass on earth and on the moon. Mass is constant regardless of where you are in space. There is a difference in weight (Weight = mass x gravity.); since gravity at the earth's surface is about 6 times greater than the gravity at the surface of the moon, the astronaut would weigh about 6 times more on earth than he/she does on the moon. Again, I can't stress this enough: the mass would not change. So the answer is, "no difference".
How likely is it to be murdered compared to being a lotto winner?
Thousands of people are rushing to buy lottery tickets in an attempt to win UKs highest ever jackpot of 50.4 million, but the odds of winning are incredibly minisculeExamples: How to Win the Lottery: 7 Tips that Really Work – Jackie Blacko – MediumThousands of people are rushing to buy lottery tickets in an attempt to win the UKs highest ever jackpot of 57.8 million - but the chance of winning is incredibly miniscule.This means you are more likely to be hit by a part of a plane falling from the sky (1 in 10,000,000) than securing the life-changing jackpot.It could be worse; youre still more likely to win the lottery than you are of being crushed by a vending machine. The chances of that happening are 1 in 112 million.Things falling from the sky and killing you are just generally a more likely outcome than winning the lottery. Theres a 1 in 10 million chance youll die from being hit by a falling plane part, according to College Times.If that doesnt put you off flying, this certainly will. The odds of being killed in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million according to Review Journal.Getting hit by lightning is almost 4 times more likely than winning the lottery. The chances of being fatally struck is 1 in 10 million, the Mirror claims.Youre 45 times more likely to die from flesh eating bacteria than securing the jackpot. The odds are 1 in 1 million, the Daily Beast reports.If you think you have what it takes to be the next Tim Peake, theres a 1 in 12 million chance youll become an astronaut, according to Review Journal.The chance of you winning an Oscar is 1 in 11,500. Thats right, youre more likely to win an Oscar than have a winning lottery ticket, according to Review Journal.
Why did Apollo 12 not blow up when hit by lightning on launch?
Apollo 12 did not blow up because of its metal structure, which conducts electricity quite well. The conductive properties of the air frame moved the current of the strike through the vehicle without igniting any fuel. The lightning then discharged on the far side of the vehicle, continuing until its charge dissipated either in a cloud or on the ground.This question becomes far more interesting if we ask ourselves how the rocket was able to continue with the mission after sensitive electronics were exposed to such high voltages. This is one of my favorite stories from the space age. After Apollo 12 was struck with lightning, telemetry from the vehicle became distorted and scrambled. The astronauts had every caution and warning light they could see going off. Capcom reads off the list of problems: "I got three fuel cell lights, an AC bus light, a fuel cell disconnect, AC bus overload 1 and 2, Main Bus A and B out." The crew at mission control in Houston were preparing to abort the mission when the radio channel opens up and John Aaron says, "Flight, EECOM, try SCE to 'Aux'." The command had to be repeated several times because nobody knew what the SCE system was or where the switch was. Luckily, Astronaut Alan Bean knew the pannel that the switch was on and was able to find the switch. The SCE system scrubs the data before transmitting the telemetry, keeping the data clean. This system was knocked out by the lightning strikes. John Aaron was able to quickly identify and diagnose this system as the failure point. Not only did he know what went wrong, but also how to fix it. He reacted fast enough to save the mission from aborting earning him the highest praise that can be bestowed upon a NASA team member, being named a "steely eyed missile man."Apollo 12 Audio Transcript: Apollo 12 Flight Journal
What happens if a spaceship is hit by lightning?
See for yourself. This is one video and there are others to watch. Very scary stuff. They don't launch in rain anymore. Have fun writing this and you can think of it from different vantage points...those on the ground watching and seeing the lightning strike - one point of view...the guys in the capsule - have no idea what happened...control room - heart attack moment, panic, breathless horror...all of these can be told in your book step by step. one view of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33NnEZMS5RY Keep having fun and good luck with your book.