May 16, 2008
Mountaineering and Space Exploration
Astronaut Scott Parazynski Everest Podcasts 16 May 2008
"Hi again, this is Scott. Just wanted to make a few comments about the tools that are required to scale a mountain as it compared with going outside on a spacewalk. It's actually quite similar, in many regards... We're at great heights, of course gravity affects us in space a little bit differently as we're in a free fall around the earth but here on Mt. Everest if you're to slip and fall, it could mean a long ride, of several thousand feet...with a pretty bad outcome."
Mountaineering and Climbing on Mars
"Initial human missions to Mars will be a precious commodity wherein a maximum amount of information is gathered by each crew. As was the case during innumerable terrestrial missions of exploration, the Martian terrain that visiting crews must traverse in order to gain an understanding will often be difficult."
Posted by kcowing at May 16, 2008 8:43 PM
As with human space flight, there are serious impacts to our physiology.
Here is a Scientific American article.
Into Thin Air: Mountain Climbing Kills Brain Cells
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=brain-cells-into-thin-air
I have twice climbed over 8000 m. I will not again.
rog
Posted by: rog at May 16, 2008 10:04 PM

