The distance between the two planets is one of the biggest problems we face when it comes to reaching Saturn!
Human Space Travel is Expensive
NASA's space shuttles were never designed to leave Earth's orbit. To get astronauts to Saturn, within a reasonable time, would require larger engines and an enormous amount of fuel. The spaceship might even have to be built in orbit.
The vessel would also have to store food, water, and other resources - enough to support the astronauts during the seven-year trip to Saturn, plus the seven-year return journey, and for however long they stayed there to conduct research. You'd also have to find some people willing to devote at least 15 years of their lives to the project!
Sending people out into space adds enormous cost to space missions, and considering the rapid advances in technology, brings relatively few additional benefits.
Space is Dangerous
Both humans and electronics need to be protected from extremes of heat and cold, intense radiation and collisions with objects.
Saturn is almost 10 times farther away from the Sun than Earth, and the Earth, as we know, is already a long way from the Sun.
Human Space Travel is Expensive
NASA's space shuttles were never designed to leave Earth's orbit. To get astronauts to Saturn, within a reasonable time, would require larger engines and an enormous amount of fuel. The spaceship might even have to be built in orbit.
The vessel would also have to store food, water, and other resources - enough to support the astronauts during the seven-year trip to Saturn, plus the seven-year return journey, and for however long they stayed there to conduct research. You'd also have to find some people willing to devote at least 15 years of their lives to the project!
Sending people out into space adds enormous cost to space missions, and considering the rapid advances in technology, brings relatively few additional benefits.
Space is Dangerous
Both humans and electronics need to be protected from extremes of heat and cold, intense radiation and collisions with objects.
Humans also require oxygen, food, water, and space to exercise in order to survive. This adds to the complexity of the mission, and makes the dangers very real.
Even if humans did make it to Saturn, the planet spins very fast, and this causes it to generate a strong magnetic field. This in itself has the potential to interfere with sensitive electronic equipment on board any kind of space craft.
Additionally, this magnetic field traps radioactive ions from the Sun, and suspends them inside a belt of radiation that would be damaging to both equipment and humans.
Even if humans did make it to Saturn, the planet spins very fast, and this causes it to generate a strong magnetic field. This in itself has the potential to interfere with sensitive electronic equipment on board any kind of space craft.
Additionally, this magnetic field traps radioactive ions from the Sun, and suspends them inside a belt of radiation that would be damaging to both equipment and humans.
