About this episode
Social Scientist Alires Almon explains why the human element is critical to mission success during long-duration spaceflights. In this episode, Alires discusses the impacts of sending people to the Moon and beyond, how to maintain their mental health, and the ethics of extended space missions. With challenges like extreme isolation, communication delays, and living within the confines of the spacecraft, taking care of an astronaut’s overall wellness will be no easy task. There is a lot to learn! Resources: Deep Space Predictive's Website Project Lodestar Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (01:54) - Long Term Space Travel Overview (05:02) - New Capabilities (07:37) - Aerospace Beginnings (12:03) - Science Fiction (14:01) - The Human Factor in Space Planning (16:44) - Space Mental Health (19:31) - Stranded Astronauts (20:30) - Communication Challenges (23:28) - To Tell or Not to Tell (27:44) - AI Relationships (30:27) - Medical Skills (32:21) - In Case of Emergency (34:42) - Culture Shock (37:09) - Should We Go to Mars? (39:35) - Space Ethics (45:08) - Would You Go to Mars? (47:07) - Alires' Advice (48:44) - Outro