Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

From my Cannonball Read V review...

This is my second Mary Roach book of this Cannonball read, and the fact that it popped into my queue right now is perfect, because Gravity is out and I cannot wait to see it.

I was excited to read this because when I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. Not enough to get into the physics and astronomy track in college, or enlist in the air force, or really do anything to actively pursue that career path, but enough that to this day I still think that if I win the lottery I plan to squirrel away a chunk of the change to pay my way into space (after donating the vast majority of it to charity, of course.)

The premise is not just exploring space travel, but specifically extended space travel. Ms. Roach does a great job of weaving in the history of space travel through specific areas from eating space food to … eliminating said food. There are so many wonderful facts, great footnotes and just fun stories. She gets to ride the vomit comet (i.e. the parabolic flight), interview groundbreaking (atmosphere-busting?) astronauts, scientists and others.

The book is especially interesting because it doesn’t sugar-coat anything about space travel. I didn’t realize, for example, that some of the early space flights involved two dudes hanging out in a capsule for two weeks, no ability to wash or really take care of any personal hygiene needs. Or how much fecal matter can end up floating around in the space shuttle, and how much research and development had to go into creating a toilet, or how much effort goes into creating food that allows for a little more time between … evacuations.

Along the way of telling the story of all the challenges that are increased on a long space trip, Ms. Roach drops great little bits of knowledge. For example, she explains how the flag on the moon looked like it was blowing in the wind even though there isn’t wind on the moon, and talks about why people get motion sickness. There are so many awesome nuggets that it’s worth it for anyone who is into trivia.

You know the drill. It’s Mary Roach. It’s good. You’ll probably like it. Add it to the list.
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This is the second book I've read by author Mary Roach. I don't look for dumbing-down in my non-fiction selections, but she has a way of discussing the serious aspects of a topic with a certain verve; a twist of tongue that litters her prose with bits of welcome laughter. I'm hooked, again.

After the Apollo missions, NASA's focus turned to experimentation in place of exploration. She explains that everything NASA does is essentially preparation for the next bigger mission they choose.

As part of her research, Mary Roach even "applied to be a subject in a simulated Mars mission". She was part of an expedition visiting Devon Island, using NASA's latest rover prototypes. She describes these as looking like "a futuristic camper van".

She explains to readers the mental and emotional rigors of space travel and the extensive testing that precedes all excursions. Did you know that the forces of gravity, whether from traditional gravity, or centrifugal force, can cause extreme stress or even separation of the brain from the spinal cord? NASA takes every aspect of space exploration seriously.

She explains that astronauts do not only deal with dietary sacrifice, they also face a change to their very being. Walking around is taken for granted. Weightlessness changes everything. Astronauts are faced with ortho static hypotension because of the lack of gravity. This is an aspect of a disorder that our family deals with on a daily basis, so it was interesting for me to read about. Joints that don't receive enough of the normal stress we experience from the simplest activities on earth, show sometimes great amounts of bone loss upon return to Earth.

One natural physical activity that is craved by every human being is about the only thing that hasn't been explicitly experimented with on outer space missions; sex. Oh, there's lots of talk, lots of wondering... NASA has not yet found appropriate parameters within which they can approach this topic. Mary explains the sensible reasons behind this. She even goes on her own mission and determines that the only pornographic film to claim that it was filmed in zero gravity indeed was not.

Pregnancy and childbirth are lofty ideas when it comes to space exploration. Russia once sent a "mischief" of rats into space, keeping the males and females separated until they were launched. After that, the rays were given open access and allowed to freely mate. Upon their return to Earth, some of the females exhibited signs of conception, but none were pregnant. April Ronca is quoted in relation to this, "Maybe the placenta can't form. Maybe the uterus can't have proper implantation. Any step along the way could be compromised by zero gravity in ways that we haven't foreseen. We know nothing."

Mary calls our attention the fact that many of the items we use on a regular basis has their origins in the space program. "If it's cordless, fireproof, lightweight, and strong, miniaturized, or automated, chances are food NASA has had a hand in the technology. We are talking trash compactors, bulletproof vests, high-speed wireless data transfer, implantable heart monitors, cordless power tools, artificial limbs, dustbiswrs, sports bras, computerized insulin pumps, fire-fighters' masks."

Space travel holds me in awe. Did you know that "up through Apollo 11, every mission included a major NASA first?" Those days are not all behind us; in fact, it is expected that we will send a few select people to Mars by the year 2030. Isn't that incredible?

People sometimes question why we bother with further exploration of the universe. I believe it is the loftiest endeavor ahead of us and that we must continue to take each next step, to expand our knowledge of ourselves and of other worlds. Mary quotes Benjamin Franklin, and I'll close with that, "I defer to the sentiments of Benjamin Franklin. Upon the occasion of history's first manned flights-in the 1780s, about the Montgolfier brothers' hot-air balloons-someone asked Franklin what use he saw in such frivolity. "What use," he replied, "is a newborn baby?" Think on that. ( )

Mostly good; a bit dry at times. Great few chapters on excretory functions in space. ( )

"Packing for Mars" is a book about the history of NASA's space experiments and flights. An example of one is the the flight of NASA's first human astronaut's flight. An another example is the test is a strange one, NASA has an place called FARU, or Flight Analogs Research Unit, that is for testing what would happen to people's skeleton if they would stay off their feet for a long period of time. They test this by being on a bed for a long time without getting off, and to get volunteers, they will PAY YOU TO DO IT! The book is from Mary Roaches perspective, most of the time, and she adds in footnotes so people that read the book can have extra information. There are 16 chapters, each about a different topic about NASA's experiences, tests, and flights.

I give this book 5 stars because this book has no flaws and it tells the truth about some space myths. My favorite thing in this book is in a footnote, it says Russia has a memorial called the Tomb of the Unknown Dog, and I can't believe there is a memorial for dogs, I love dogs, dogs are my favorite type of pet! This book is not like other science books, the writer has a sense of humor! I recommend this book for people that like science books and books about space. The fact that the book has humor, the book is better, but if the topic was different, the book will be worse, not better. A funny thing in the book is that astronauts must be "retaught" for space, it is funny, it makes the astronauts seem like children! ( )

Mary Roach makes every subject interesting, and space travel is no exception. In this book, she describes all of the challenges that come with traveling in outer space, especially with a destination as far away as Mars. Roach doesn't shy away from any details. She covers how astronauts eat and take care of other personal needs. If you like knowing obscure facts about a range of subjects, you will enjoy Mary Roach. ( )