Questions tagged [crewed-spaceflight]

Crewed spaceflight (also referred to as human spaceflight or manned spaceflight) is space travel with a crew aboard the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is crewed, it can be operated directly, as opposed to being remotely operated or autonomous.

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Has intra-cranial pressure been measured on ISS astronauts for SANS research?

Visual impairment (VI) <and spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS)> is currently ... NASA's top health risk for long duration spaceflight, and millions of dollars has been allocated ...
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Are there examples of spaceflight equipment being redesigned to remove right hand bias? (To make it less difficult to use left-handed)

Writing First left-handed primate on the Moon? First in space? got me thinking. The first left-handed astronaut may "break a barrier" but not all barrier-breakings result in an improvement ...
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Are rockets deliberately throttled back towards the end of the burn to spare crew and airframe g-forces?

Throughout its burn, a rocket gets lighter as propellant is consumed. As a result, acceleration (and g-force) increase. In the shuttle, the SSMEs were throttled back towards the end of the burn ...
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Is disabling glare common in space?

I'd like to know if astronauts have been under the effect of Disabling Glare, how easily this could accidentally happen and how long can last if this happen?
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What paper size do they use on the International Space Station?

We know they have at least one printer on the ISS – that's NASA-supplied so it would be in the US Orbital Segment. Presumably there is a printer in the Russian Orbital Segment as well. (Mir had a ...
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What mission is this Chris Hadfield photo associated with and what is the location? And what is that thing?

Many, many astronauts have gone on to be wonderful orators, educators, advocates for science, education and positive thinking, Major Tom Colonel (ret) and (fmr) ISS Commander Chris Hadfield is just ...
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Which countries could launch a human into space on very short notice

I’m not sure if it's better to ask this here or on worldbuilding.se Which countries except Russia/China/US can launch their own crew into space and return them unharmed (if for some reason this really ...
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Looking for Apollo Flight Control Hardware Blueprints (such as RHC, THC and COAS)

I've been looking to build replicas of Apollo flight control hardware such as RHC, THC, ACA, TTCA and COAS, and am looking for detailed engineering drawings that show dimensions and internal ...
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Live_ISS_Stream stopped?

so I've come across this video, 11 hours of ISS transmissions during 2021 ASAT incident by Russia. The description says the footage was archived from this IBM stream site, so I've looked to see if it ...
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What are the movable-plastic-bag-looking things on the nose of Shuttle?

I was watching the last launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) and noticed some objects that moved during the launch. I was curious about what these objects were and why they were positioned that ...
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How many printed novels have been in space to date?

I am talking about actual novels brought for recreational purposes. As in manuals don't count. Also, I would like to know who and on what mission these were brought.
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Semi-interdependant Jovian Colony [closed]

Given the low $\Delta v$ needed to transfer between the moons of Jupiter even just between the Galilean large moons, and the distribution of heavier molecules and atoms towards the inner system (Io + ...
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How long would it take to travel from the moon to the asteroid belt/Jupiter with fusion powered space travel?

I am writing a science fiction story that involves fusion powered space travel, but not constant acceleration like in the Expanse. Instead, the manned spacecraft accelerates at the beginning of the ...
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Manned Spacecraft/Space Station design Requirements

I am looking for some document that summarizes all the aspects that need to be taken care of during design (structural resistance, life support system, thermal regulation, etc.). Something similar to ...
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Is the vestibular system ever useful in spaceflight?

The Vintage Space video Eleven Deaf Men Helped NASA Leave Earth describes a number of different NASA experiments done on human subjects who had damaged vestibular systems due to childhood illness. ...
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Radiation Challenges of Crewed Gas Giant Missions

I was thinking about how easy it would be to perform a crewed tour of the Jovian/Saturnian moons, given the low DeltaV, and the abundant opportunities for potential ISRU. Then, I remembered with that ...
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Wouldn't it be easier to send human heads instead entire human bodies for space exploration? [closed]

A major part of what makes human space exploration extremely difficult is the infrastructure required to support the human body outside earth. It requires resources just to launch into space due to ...
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How does SpaceX get through regulatory issues so quickly?

"Regulatory" isn't the right word, but I don't know what is. For example, SpaceX seemed to be able to prove to NASA's satisfaction that they were sufficiently safe to use for crewed launches ...
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Gemini Ejection seat usage during late stages of reentry

Gemini in one way or another was a somewhat unique spacecraft. One such unique feature was having a ejection seat. While reading trough the document Development and qualification of gemini escape ...
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Why were ejection seats used in Project Gemini instead of a tower escape system?

In Project Gemini, the Titan II GLV space rocket used as fuel hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, so safety concerns over its toxic propellants were present. But along with the special care that was ...
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Why are the very reliable rockets Atlas V and Ariane V not rated for human flight?

During the last ten years all 100 or so launches by Atlas V and Ariane V together have been successful. (One Atlas V payload entered too low orbit, but that would hardly have risked the life of a crew)...
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What is "mission design"? What do mission designers do (if such a designation exists)?

The question in meta Is the mission-design tag description wrong? Should the trajectory-design tag be somehow nixed? needs some attention, so I thought I'd turn to our "panel of experts" ...
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How often is duct tape used during crewed space missions?

It seems Apollo missions carried some variety of gray tape, likely Duct Tape or similar. There's the scene in the movie Apollo 13 and the reality behind it discussed in the video below. Question: How ...
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What is the composition of breathable air on the International Space Station? [duplicate]

On the ISS, the breathable air has to include oxygen, but it can't be pure oxygen for safety reasons. So what is the composition of breathable air on the station?
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Did any astronaut take a Bible into space?

I am wondering if any astronauts took a copy of the Holy Bible into space. I know the crew of Apollo 8 read part of Genesis 1 in space, but I am wondering if anyone took a full Holy Bible into space.
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Why will Starship's 150 ton payload capacity be sufficient to carry 100 people to other planets?

The ISS weighs 450 tons and carries 7 people for three months without resupply. Starship is supposed to carry 14 times as many people for more than twice the duration with one third the mass. How?
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How long would it take to travel to Proxima b?

Proxima b is an Earth-like (i.e. rocky) planet, in orbit around the star Proxima Centauri, approximately 4.243 light years from Sol, our home star. If I had a space vehicle capable of accelerating ...
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Are there any sites that have collection of Bellcomm Inc. memos?

Bellcomm Inc was contracted by NASA to provide alternate and hypothetical launch vehicles, spacecraft, and missions. The memos combine the right blend of technical detail without heavy mathematics ...
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Who was the first left handed astronaut (or cosmonaut) to orbit retrograde?

Most astronauts are right handed, and most crewed orbits are prograde. Who was the first retro lefty?
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Has depleted uranium been considered for radiation shielding in crewed spacecraft beyond LEO?

Does Depleted Uranium (DU) have a role in spacecraft shielding? Crewed spacecraft require shielding to protect crew from hazards of space, particularly: Micrometors. The chief defense is a Whipple ...
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Once in Earth orbit, what is the strongest propulsive acceleration an astronaut has experienced?

Early crewed launches subjected astronauts to large propulsive acceleration, usually right at the end of a stage before shut down and separation when the mass for that stage is minimum. (see ...
4 votes
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Probability of centimeter scale meteoroids killing astronauts

The maximum impact velocity for a meteoroid orbiting the Sun is 72km/s at 1AU. At this velocity, it has an energy density of 2,592 MJ/kg, or 620kgTNT/kg. This means that a 10cm diameter sphere of ice ...
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Closed Loop Space propulsion

While browsing for Space propulsion found this book : https://www.knygos.lt/lt/knygos/closed-loop-space-propulsion-new-faster-approach-2e4zy/ Closed Loop Space Propulsion New Faster Approach : The ...
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If the ISS had an emergency, how long would it take to get a rocket to it?

If there was an urgent need to launch a rocket to the ISS, how long would it take to have a rocket ready to launch? I am trying to understand what factors take up the time to prepare for a rocket ...
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Could steam be used as a efficient power source for a space craft?

Could water (steam) be used as an effective power source for a manned spaceship headed to Mars? The basic idea is simple... Heat the water on the sunny side of the spacecraft, allow the steam to ...
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Has Buzz Aldrin’s Line-of-Sight rendezvous method ever been used?

Has Buzz Aldrin’s Line-of-Sight rendezvous method ever been used? Buzz Aldrin’s 1963 doctoral thesis describes a line-of-sight (LOS) rendezvous technique which is independent of computer and radar ...
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How much technical information is given to astronauts on a spaceflight? How much of it is left to the control center?

In many space exploration movies, we see that the control center, most notably the Mission Control Center has a team of engineers and scientists communicating with the astronauts regarding a variety ...
211 votes
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Can I borrow a lunar rover?

According to Wikipedia there are 3 LRVs sitting on the moon, in very well defined locations. Would China, or whomever gets to the moon with a person next, be able to get in and drive around in an LRV ...
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How brightly does Venus's hot surface glow at night? Could you see it? Could you see well enough to walk around?

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Captures its First Images of Venus' Surface in Visible Light, Confirmed links to the new Geophysical Research Letter Parker Solar Probe Imaging of the Night Side of Venus. ...
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Sending a Soyuz ship interplanetary - a plausible option?

This is my first time on Space Exploration SE, although I have participated quite a bit over on Worldbuilding. Anyway, as an avid sci-fi reader, I have been wondering if sending a Soyuz interplanetary ...
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Mars transfer window frequency

According to this website I drew up a timeline of Mars transfer windows and the time you'd need to stay on Mars before the next return window: Blue to red arrows are Earth to mars transitions, red ...
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Are fuel cells suitable for missions with high power requirements?

Are fuel cells suited for missions with high power requirements?
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Are most launches for science missions?

Are most space missions launched for scientific purposes? I had thought so, but during a group discussion, someone suggested most are actually for commercial purposes. Are they correct? Thanks!
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ESA: Does the ESA initiate the development of necessary new technologies if it is necessary? Does the ESA create new space missions?

I tried to do some research but I couldn’t find any definitive answer to this: Does the ESA initiate the development of necessary new technologies if it is necessary? And does the ESA create new space ...
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How heavy is an orbital pogo stick?

Moving people from a A to B in space often requires a significant change in velocity, requiring propellant eating into the mass budget. But most of this propellant is "wasted" in moving a ...
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Which crewed spacecraft provides the gentlest descent and/or landing?

Landing with a Soyuz capsule is often compared to being in a car accident1, it's pretty violent on touch-down. On the other hand, I imagine the Space Shuttle's touch-down to be a little like a rough ...
8 votes
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Flying around on a fire extinguisher

It's in many movies... the astronaut grabs a fire extinguisher and uses it to propel themselves around. It's even in the Shuttle operations manual (2.2-9) "Consideration should be given to the ...
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Was it possible to do a course correction on the planned manned Venus flyby?

Once the burn was complete, any remaining propellant would be vented to space, and then the larger fuel tank could be used as living space, while the smaller oxygen tank would be used for waste ...
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Where is the gravity generated on a spaceship in super fast space travel?

After reading the question: Is artificial gravity feasible in manned long-term space exploration?, I am having a hard time imagining what experiencing the "continuous acceleration" method of gravity ...
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Is 2001: A Space Odyssey's Discovery One still a plausible design for interplanetary travel?

in 1968 Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke created 2001: A Space Odyssey. The interplanetary spacecraft, Discovery One, was considered scientifically feasible at the time. The design included in-...

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