"To explore the stars, to explore the vast amount of ocean which is still unexplored - we need to live in a tube. Like, to journey to Mars, we would need to live in a tube for a very long time."
By now, most have heard of the huge cluster at the ISS. Boeing and NASA (who should know better), sent two astronauts up to the ISS for routine (and short) visit. One the way up there, some problems were noted. The capsule did make it to docking, and the astronauts made it into the ISS just fine. But the powers that be deemed the Starliner capsule "unfit" and unsafe to ferry humans back to Earth. Thus, after much consternation, the sick Starliner capsule was sent back to Earth unmanned. And the two astronauts are "stuck" in space until maybe February.
Some might read this story and think "so what". Big deal. Here is the big deal. This is NASA, for crying in the beer. NASA sent people to the Moon and back 50 years ago. Boeing has been around forever. And we don't know how to get two people back from the International Space Station? I thought today, all eyes were on how to get to Mars and back. Oh - that is right. That is Elon Musk. Elon Musk will and can do it. Elon Musk who might also have to save the day to get these two astronauts back home. By the way - February is a long way away when you are living in a tube, and only packed for a weekend visit.
Here is another "living in a tube" story which was much less publicized. The USS Florida (SSGS-728) set a record that they really did not mean to set. For a variety of reasons, this nuclear sub (which at one time was a "boomer"), set off on a routine cruise. Many times in the past, nuclear subs (which can stay underwater for just about forever), would be gone for six months at a time to undisclosed locations. Sailors knew in advance, that was part of the deal. I don't know about anyone else, but I would have a tough time living in a tube underwater for six months. Being in the submarine business was not for everyone.
For a variety of reasons, most of which I don't know (other than the fact the Navy is spread a bit too thin right now), the USS Florida ended up being gone not for six months - rather it set a record for the longest deployment. It was gone just a shade under two years. True, it had to come up for replenishment, but the vast majority of the time it was underwater. Two years under water. Hats off to our sailors.
Exploring the oceans or traveling to the stars means living in a container which will keep people alive. I remember reading an article a while back comparing how stout a submarine is compared to how stout a space vehicle is. The premise of the article was that should a submarine suddenly find itself in space, it could survive (for a while). I know - hard to believe.
In any event, here is the point. We can explore most places on Earth which are not covered in water. Even though most places have been explored to date, some are left unexplored. But we can explore those places without living in a tube. To explore the stars, to explore the vast amount of ocean which is still unexplored - we need to live in a tube. Like, to journey to Mars, we would need to live in a tube for a very long time.
How many people have the mental toughness to live in a tube either way up or way down? People who do, all I can say is this - hats off to you! I don't think I could. Not today, not fifty years ago. I will stay on terra firma, thank you!
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