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> This highlights the sorry state of science and space exploration. We spent billions building this amazing station, and now we want to deorbit it? What a shame

> This highlights the sorry state of science and space exploration. We spent billions building this amazing station, and now we want to deorbit it? What a shame. We learned a lot from it, but now it's outdated and crawling with difficult to eradicate mold and fungus. With Starship, we could launch 100 International Space Stations. We'll be fine.

esafak 2y ago
News to me! https://www.science.org/content/article/space-station-mold-survives-200-times-radiation-dose-would-kill-human https://www.science.org/content/article/space-station-mold-s...
- mnau 2y ago
  > Space station mold survives 200 times the radiation dose that would kill a human > that the spores could survive radiation doses of 500 to 1000 gray (=sieverts), Humans can survive massive amount if radiation, provided it's not all at once (research sample size = 1). Albert Stevens survived 64 sieverts deliverted over 20 years (lethal dose 50 % die in 30 days is 4-5 sieverts). It's almost as if linear-no-threshold model is wrong and we do actually have some capability to repair some damage Edit: just to clarify, survive doesn't mean thrive. Just that we might survive in a deadly environment better and longer than expected.
  - Retric 2y ago
    Linear no threshold refers to cancer not acute radiation sickness. People getting people getting a sunburn vs skin cancer from sun exposure are experiencing different biological processes, the underlying mechanisms are related but different. Threshold dosing in terms of cancer has zero evidence to support it, and cancer is already really common suggesting if there’s any threshold we are well past it. The only reason you hear about it is there is an industry who really wishes it were true. Just like people suggesting low dose exposure to lead wasn’t harmful when they want to sell Tetraethyllead in gasoline, monetary rewards cloud judgement. Same deal with tanning beds and just about any product exposing people to ionizing radiation, the risks don’t seem bad when there’s money to be made.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
SoftTalker 2y ago
> crawling with difficult to eradicate mold and fungus Likely a problem for any future space travel e.g. to Mars? Why not use it as a laboratory to figure out how to deal with it?
- squigz 2y ago
  Because labs don't often have their experiments growing uncontrolled everywhere.
  - justinclift 2y ago
    Well, there was a lab in Wuhan a while back... ;)
- simonh 2y ago
  It wasn’t designed for that. Presumably habitats intended to be long term will be.

esafak 2y ago

News to me! https://www.science.org/content/article/space-station-mold-survives-200-times-radiation-dose-would-kill-human https://www.science.org/content/article/space-station-mold-s...

mnau 2y ago
> Space station mold survives 200 times the radiation dose that would kill a human > that the spores could survive radiation doses of 500 to 1000 gray (=sieverts), Humans can survive massive amount if radiation, provided it's not all at once (research sample size = 1). Albert Stevens survived 64 sieverts deliverted over 20 years (lethal dose 50 % die in 30 days is 4-5 sieverts). It's almost as if linear-no-threshold model is wrong and we do actually have some capability to repair some damage Edit: just to clarify, survive doesn't mean thrive. Just that we might survive in a deadly environment better and longer than expected.
- Retric 2y ago
  Linear no threshold refers to cancer not acute radiation sickness. People getting people getting a sunburn vs skin cancer from sun exposure are experiencing different biological processes, the underlying mechanisms are related but different. Threshold dosing in terms of cancer has zero evidence to support it, and cancer is already really common suggesting if there’s any threshold we are well past it. The only reason you hear about it is there is an industry who really wishes it were true. Just like people suggesting low dose exposure to lead wasn’t harmful when they want to sell Tetraethyllead in gasoline, monetary rewards cloud judgement. Same deal with tanning beds and just about any product exposing people to ionizing radiation, the risks don’t seem bad when there’s money to be made.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

SoftTalker 2y ago

> crawling with difficult to eradicate mold and fungus Likely a problem for any future space travel e.g. to Mars? Why not use it as a laboratory to figure out how to deal with it?

squigz 2y ago
Because labs don't often have their experiments growing uncontrolled everywhere.
- justinclift 2y ago
  Well, there was a lab in Wuhan a while back... ;)
simonh 2y ago
It wasn’t designed for that. Presumably habitats intended to be long term will be.