All images: NASA, artist representation
Space colonisation is not a new concept. It has been in the discussion since the early 1600s. NASA has said that with major advances in rocket propulsion and design, astronautics and astrophysics, space colonisation has moved several steps closer to becoming a reality.
Since its launch in 1998, the International Space Station (ISS) has been a home for rotating teams of astronauts, scientists and professionals. The long-term habitation of the ISS has provided ample data to establish parameters for keeping humans alive and healthy for long periods in the harsh environment of space, according to NASA.
Space colonisation will be one of the last resorts for humans in case of planetary-scale disasters (natural or man-made) on Earth. But how feasible it is permanently?
Over the years, several theorists and experts have supported the idea of space colonisation to save humans from going extinct. They have said that space settlement would allow humans to significantly raise the chances of survival for future generations. Colonising space will increase clean energy on Earth, and provide access to the solar system’s resources, they add.
There are cons of space colonisation too, the biggest being the exorbitant money that will have to be paid to leave Earth. There are concerns about high levels of radiation in space that can cause serious health problems. The main radiation health risks to astronaut crews on exploration missions are degenerative vascular changes, genetic mutations and cancer.