Astronauts are not afraid of sacrifice, but why do they feel scared when they look at the Earth from the moon?

Tech 2023-11-14 20:56:51 Source: Network

Before reading this article, please click on "Follow" to facilitate your discussion and sharing, as well as bring you a different sense of participation. Thank you for your support

Before reading this article, please click on "Follow" to facilitate your discussion and sharing, as well as bring you a different sense of participation. Thank you for your support.

Astronauts, this is an awe inspiring and exciting profession.They are brave warriors who explore the unknown and conquer the limits, and their courage and determination push humanity towards the boundaries of space.Becoming an astronaut not only requires profound scientific knowledge and technical abilities, but also extremely strong psychological qualities and adaptability.

The mission of astronauts is to extend human footprints to the depths of the universe, and they are the pioneers of human exploration into space.They travel through the endless darkness of the universe, challenging extreme gravity, vacuum, and radiation environments, as well as endless loneliness and loneliness.Their bodies and minds have undergone unprecedented tests, but their dedication and bravery enable us to explore the mysteries of the universe.

Becoming an astronaut is not achieved overnight, it requires rigorous training and selection.The selection process for astronauts is strict and meticulous, with every aspect of physical fitness, intellectual ability, and psychological quality going through rigorous screening.Only a few people can pass the selection and become the lucky ones who fly into space.

Astronaut training is a comprehensive challenge that encompasses various aspects of knowledge and skills.They need to learn the operation and maintenance of spacecraft, master the skills of space walking and spacecraft docking, and be familiar with various scientific experiments and task execution.In addition, astronauts also need to undergo physical fitness training and adaptive training in weightless environments to cope with extreme conditions in space.

Every astronaut is ready to sacrifice before accepting the mission, but when they look at the Earth from the moon, they feel fear.

The people who landed on the moon

So far, only Americans have personally landed on the moon. In 1961, US President John F. Kennedy delivered a historic speech announcing that the United States would send humans to the moon and safely return within this decade. This declaration laid the foundation for the launch of the US lunar landing program and sparked nationwide attention and discussion.

In order to achieve this grand goal, the United States established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and invested a significant amount of resources and manpower. Before reaching the moon in 1969, NASA had already conducted the Lewis program to develop reliable spacecraft and engine technology, laying the foundation for subsequent lunar missions; The Mercury program to send astronauts into Earth orbit and safely return.

Based on these two plans,On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission achieved the first manned lunar landing in human history.Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the moon, and his footprints remained on the surface forever.Afterwards, the United States conducted several more lunar missions, with a total of 12 astronauts landing on the moon and bringing back 382.7 kilograms of lunar soil samples.These seemingly effortless lunar missions are actually a series of tricks.

Taking the first Apollo 11 mission to the moon as an example, it was revealed in the book "Flying to the Moon" that the Eagle, which Armstrong and Aldrin were on at the time, almost crashed due to a leaking fuel tank, and the two astronauts were likely to never return.In addition, at that time, the American leadership did not have absolute confidence in this mission, and then US President Nixon even prepared a eulogy for the astronauts in advance, but fortunately it was not actually used in the end.

From this story, it can also be seen that the risks faced by astronauts at that time were relatively high. Apart from anything else, the Apollo program actually had problems,In the early Apollo 1 mission, three astronauts caught fire during ground training and were unable to escape the lunar module, ultimately resulting in all deaths. Additionally, it is not uncommon for the spacecraft to explode and crash after launch.Therefore, it can be said that all the astronauts at that time were actually prepared for sacrifice. However, among the 12 astronauts who landed on the moon, most of them expressed shock and fear when looking at the Earth on the moon. Why is this?

The oppressive feeling of a massive celestial body

The diameter of the moon is about a quarter of the diameter of the Earth, while its mass is about 1/81 of the Earth's mass and its volume is about 1/49. When an astronaut looks at the Earth from the moon, he will see a huge and unparalleled planet.In terms of professional data, we can describe it using apparent diameter.

Apparent diameter refers to the angle occupied by an object or celestial body in the observer's field of view. It is the angle measured by the observer from the starting point of the line of sight to the observation points on both sides of the object.When an object is closer or larger than the observer, it occupies a larger angle in the field of view, resulting in a larger visual diameter.On the contrary, when an object is farther or smaller from the observer, it occupies a smaller angle in the field of view and the visual diameter correspondingly decreases.

The apparent diameter of the moon is approximately 0.52 degrees, while the apparent diameter of the Earth can reach 1.9 degrees. Seeing such a huge celestial body in space naturally brings a sense of oppression that makes people awe.

The dead silence of the moon itself

In addition to the sense of oppression brought by Earth, the environment of the moon itself can make people feel insecure.

The moon has almost no atmosphere.Its atmosphere is extremely thin, unable to support life or protect the surface from the effects of solar radiation, cosmic rays, and small meteorites, making the lunar surface filled with impact craters.Moreover, there is no vitality on the moon, not only there are no animals or plants, but it also presents a gray and dark color, making people feel very oppressive.

Many astronauts express that being far away from Earth and other human environments on the moon allows them to feel the vastness and loneliness of the universe. This feeling is very unsettling.After the spacewalk mission, Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang also publicly stated that he was really afraid that the Earth would float away at that time. This also confirms that being in a dead environment such as space or the moon can make people feel insecure.

Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders once flew in a spacecraft in lunar orbit, and when he looked at the Earth, he felt it rise from under his feet.He took the famous "ground rise" photo, in which the Earth appeared in view like the sun, but its vitality far exceeded that of the sun and moon. Astronauts were in a dead space at that time, and it was inevitable to experience depression and unease.

The Exploration Road of the Wide Universe

The moon is the closest celestial body to Earth, but despite this, our understanding of it is very limited. Half a century has passed since humans first landed on the moon, and our understanding of the moon still remains at the surface. What is underground on the moon? Is there a unique terrain and structure on the back of the moon? We are not quite sure about these yet.

Compared to 50 years ago, we didn't know much, and even since the six short moon missions conducted by the United States, we have never personally landed on the moon again. The closest moon to us is like this, making it even more difficult for other planets. Although we have launched a large number of probes to explore planets in the solar system such as Saturn and Mars, we have no ability to land on these planets in the short term to see them.

The sun is just one of the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way, and there are at least hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe like the Milky Way,The Voyager spacecraft, which currently flies farthest, has only flown out of the narrow solar system and entered the so-called interstellar space.However, it is still far from the true boundary Oort Cloud of the solar system, and NASA estimates that it will take at least 30000 years before it can truly fly out of the Oort Cloud.

The vastness of the universe is unimaginable to us. When we have the ability to explore the universe, we may need to navigate for a long time in a dark and void starry sky. Can we overcome fear and anxiety at that time?

epilogue

Looking at the Earth from the moon, astronauts experienced an extraordinary experience, a new perspective that allowed them to face the vastness and loneliness of the universe.Their perspective and perspective have undergone tremendous changes, and they have seen the grandeur and fragility of the Earth. This new perspective makes them awe and fear.

However, exploring the moon is only the beginning of exploring the universe. If one is too scared to move forward in the first step, what breakthroughs can be discussed in the future? Some people also worry that we won't be able to endure the loneliness and fear of long-term interstellar navigation in the future, but in fact, we don't have to worry. When we are in that environment, our awe and fear are inevitable, but human development today relies not only on wisdom but also on courage.

Looking back at our evolutionary history, we will find that our ancestors decided with courage to give up forests and turn to grassland life, so they became the earliest humans - the Southern Apes. Since then, ancient humans have gradually transitioned from primarily herbivorous to carnivorous. We rely on wisdom and courage to constantly challenge creatures larger than ourselves, gradually transitioning from prey to hunters, and finally standing at the pinnacle of life on Earth. This development history has destined that humans will never lack courage.

Finally, due to platform rules, you will only be recognized as an iron fan if you have more interaction with me. If you like my article, you can click on "Follow" and become a fan and receive the article push as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])

Mobile advertising space rental

Tag: they the Astronauts are not afraid of sacrifice but