Evening star., 1950-03-08
Space Ship Trip to Moon
Problems Under Study
Unknowns of Dead Distance
Discussed at Symposium
By Thomas R. Henry

BY lhomoS K. henry
Space ship trips to the moon or other
planets may be generations away, but
Air Forces medical officers already are
thinking of the special problems in
volved.
A symposium on these problems, which
may as we'll be faced beforehand, was
held few weeks ago at the Aero-medical
Research Laboratory at Randolph Field.
Texas, with considerations of such un-
knowns as dead distance. the ability OF
the human body to stick together with
out gravity, and the possibility of as
phyxiating oneself with ones own
breath.
On 12-hour trip to the moon at
speed of about ten miles a second, 1t
was pointed out, the ship would be OUT
side gravity most of the time. 1t would
be as easy to lift ton as wink an eye
lid. The crew would float through the
air inside the compression chamber. AL
most no energy would be required of the
heart to pump blood through the body.
There appears to be no way of studying
the effects of mo gravity" on human
beings, it was pointed out by Dr.. Huber
tus Strughold of the medical laboratory
staff.
Sensations of Crew.
Would the crew be able to orient
themselves in space? This is highly
complex, at the best, it was pointed out.
and depends on combination OF vision
and the bodily sensations caused BY
gravity Experiments with fishes in
tanks darkened above and lighted below
show that the animals become COM
pletely confused and mistake the bottom
for the top.
Expired breath contains lot of car
bon dioxide. With no gravity effect.
this would build up in front of mouth
and nose and eventually asphyxiate a
man. 1t could be taken care of, how
ever. by ventilating system.
The most serious problem raised was
that of dead distance. There would be
lag of as much as tenth of a second
between any event and its recognition
by the mind. because the plane would
be moving faster than nerve impulses.
Generally, it was explained. during the
fight the human senses would lag about
one kilometer behind what was hap
pening.
Uranium prospecting by air now is be-
ing developed by the Geological Survey.
A set of Geiger counters is mounted in
plane to detect any unusual amount Of
radiation from the ground below, such as
would emanate from any worthwhile de-
posit of radioactive material.
The apparatus is largely an adapta-
ton of the type now carried in auto
mobiles which permits prospecting along
roads at an average speed of about 80
miles an hour. With this device thou
sands of square miles IN the uranium
producing area of the Rocky Mountains
have been surveyed.
There is no way, however. of circum-
scribing the area where uranium de-
posits may be found. Most of the dis
coveries to date have been accidental
and the great demand for the basic ele-
ment of atomic bombs permits overlook
ing no bets. An airplane easily can
cover every section of the country where
there are any possibilities.
Disturbing Factor.
1t has been necessary, however, to in
troduce several refinements in the ap-
paratus. "A disturbing factor has been
the cosmic radiation from outer space
falling on the air-carried Geiger coun-
ters, which creates such background
noise" that disturbances from below
would be drowned.
In order to silence this noise from
the sky" it has been necessary to cover
the counters with an inch-thick lead
shield.
There is certain amount Of radia-
ton from the soil all the time and
everywhere Only when critical
amount is received is signal set of to
attract the attention of the air pros
pector The point from which the dis
turbance comes can be located rather
precisely by methods developed for
aerial surveying.