Space travel might be around the corner, but are you ready for it?
India’s first unmanned mission to the moon has raised the bar as to what is expected in the near future. It might be too ambitious to speak of Indian manned space travel now, but that is the next logical step. You can already buy yourself a joyride in Richard Branson’s space tourism enterprise, Virgin Galactic, which is expected to start flights soon.
It is easy to dismiss space travel as meant for professional astronauts or the über-rich. But, in fact, a large number of Ordinary Joes have made it to space as space organisations in Europe and America actively encourage civilian participation in space flight. The scenario might come true in the case of India too. The critical issue is: are you physically ready for it?
The first test is your IQ. Taking for granted that you breeze through, it is time to find out if your jelly legs can take the pounding of space travel. Getting to space and staying there is currently the most violent and hostile experience you can put the human body through.
Before you ogle the stars, you had better start watching the minutes on your treadmill. Every gram that is lifted to space is precious, and the after effects of a six-pack of beer do not count as cabin baggage. It is best you get yourself into reasonable shape before you appear for your physical examination. Once you are through that, space organisations have their own drill to prepare you that has been honed after extensive research. You can say it can be compared to putting you in a barrel and rolling you 33 times — daily for a period of up to a year.
Things though don’t get any simpler once you make it up there. The merriness of floating around weightless can actually be fatal. Research has found that after spending weeks or months in a weightless environment you lose bone density, weaken your heart and lose your immune responses, all thanks to being in a gravity-free and confined environment.
The partial solution though is a set of elastic bands. Something as simple as pulling taut an elastic band is the only way to burn energy where the laws of physics are alien to the human body. But come to think of it, you will have the best view out of the window ever to lighten your workout.
