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Questions and Answers:
Shana Diez '02 How did your sophomore IAP visit to Cape Kennedy shape your interest in space exploration? For me, visiting Cape Kennedy and seeing both the government-run facilities as well as the commercial launch sites was an excellent experience. It is one thing to study modern space craft and rocket technologies, but it is something entirely different to stand on a brand new launch facility or see the shuttle being prepared for its next mission. The scale and complexity of space systems never really sinks in until you are standing right under the first stage engine of the Saturn V rocket. I have always been fascinated by the challenge of space exploration, but going to Kennedy made me feel like I was right there inside of the excitement. For me space is irresistible. The challenge is so great, and the possibilities seemingly endless. Once I started learning about the aerospace industry and more specifically human space exploration, I was hooked. I can't imagine myself doing anything else. What's the goal of your team project designing and building a human-powered artificial gravity cycle? The goal of our project is to explore alternative methods of combating the effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity environments on astronauts. It seems increasingly evident to me that one of the main factors limiting our ability to explore more of our solar system is the inability of our bodies to maintain themselves in microgravity environments. Issues such as muscle atrophy, bone marrow loss, and immune system changes become serious problems for astronauts spending any extended time out of earth's gravity. Our project is to design, build, and take some preliminary data on a human-powered centrifuge. This type of system has been suggested as a possible solution to this problem. Our project is a sort of proof of concept design. Although similar systems have been built and tested, there is very little conclusive data because very little is known about the processes involved in the human body's reactions to microgravity. We hope that, after we have finished building and doing preliminary testing, the human-powered centrifuge will continue to be used to try to simulate an artificial gravity force that may eventually be used to answer some of the questions about how astronauts can maintain physical conditioning in space. What are your personal and professional aspirations for space exploration? Personally, I strongly believe that exploration is a fascination that will always be inherent in human nature. For me, space exploration is the paramount example of this. As long as there is still something to explore, I think we should continue to push forward. In my opinion, the space program has historically been one of the fields that has always pushed technology to its outermost limits and challenged engineers and scientists to perform at their peaks. When you look at the inventions and technological breakthroughs which have come to pass as byproducts of the space program, the need to continue to push forward seems obvious. For me, hearing of the cancellation of the X-33 and X-34 programs was a huge blow. I feel that the worst thing that can happen is for the industry to be happy with the technology that exists. We should constantly be pushing forward and attempting to find better, more efficient, and more affordable ways to get things and people into space. I want to bring to the industry, both personally and professionally, this drive to constantly improve space technologies. It is precisely this that originally interested me in this field, and this is what I hope to instill into as many people as I can professionally.
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Institute of Technology