In my lifetime I have learned that you can divide the world’s population into two groups–those who believe the United States landed men on the Moon (back in the late 1960s) and those who don’t. The former of which is in the majority, and the latter is…well, the minority.
But really, who’s saying we didn’t land men on the moon? Well, NASA apparently.
A Force Field for Astronauts?
…Space beyond low-Earth orbit is awash with intense radiation from the Sun and from deep galactic sources such as supernovas. Astronauts en route to the Moon and Mars are going to be exposed to this radiation, increasing their risk of getting cancer and other maladies. Finding a good shield is important.
…The most common way to deal with radiation is simply to physically block it, as the thick concrete around a nuclear reactor does. But making spaceships from concrete is not an option.
…Like charges repel. So why not protect astronauts by surrounding them with a powerful electric field that has the same charge as the incoming radiation, thus deflecting the radiation away?
…It sounds wonderful, but there are many scientific and engineering problems yet to be solved. For example, skeptics note that an electrostatic shield on the Moon is susceptible to being short circuited by floating moondust, which is itself charged by solar ultraviolet radiation. Solar wind blowing across the shield can cause problems, too. Electrons and protons in the wind could become trapped by the maze of forces that make up the shield, leading to strong and unintended electrical currents right above the heads of the astronauts.
…But, who knows, perhaps one day astronauts on the Moon and Mars will work safely, protected by a simple principle of electromagnetism even a child can understand.
NASA Science | Archive
Call me crazy, but why can’t we just use the same technology we had back in the ’60s?
That seemed to work okay…didn't it?
Just your average, self-abused futile worker.