What are the disadvantages of space technologies?

Answer 1

- Very expensive.

Space technology is extremely expensive to research, design, build, test and launch.

- Kinetic Bombardment.

Space technology can be used as a weapon. Because of the speed of which objects fall from space to Earth, an ordinary missile fired from a space station for example will cause more damage than both the nuclear bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki together.

- Space Pollution/Junk.

Sometimes unneeded parts, such as empty fuel compartments are "dropped" and left behind in space and sometimes parts manage to fall off of space crafts and satellites. Some satellites that are no longer in use are left in space.

All this junk orbiting the planet will eventually cause problems to future spacecraft, because of the risk of crashing into them while the spacecraft is ascending out of the atmosphere.

- Space Pollution/Junk 2.

As well as causing problems for launching spacecraft in the future, orbiting junk in space can also collide with active satellites and damage or disable them, most likely creating even more space junk.

- Disease/Bacteria.

There is always a chance of space-bacteria finding its way back to Earth and eradicating the human race. Human bacteria can also contaminate planet/moon surfaces.

- Psychological effects.

It's recently being discovered that astronauts returning from extremely long missions in space sometimes suffer from emotional or psychological side-effects.

- Ozone damage.

Spacecraft and satellite launches can punch holes into the ozone layer. The ozone layer protects life on Earth from deadly ultraviolet radiation. If the ozone layer is too badly damaged, radiation will leak into our atmosphere and severely complicate health for living things on Earth. NASA have very strict guidelines to only launch missions through the "opening" at the top of the ozone layer.

However nations such as Russia still occasionally cause ozone damage.

- Potential for war.

Space technology can unlock new eras and new discoveries. While this is an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage. Space technology can be turned into weapons for war (see Kinetic Bombardment above).

Technology may also allow us to discover ways to mine minerals from moons and planets. This could cause the first "space wars", fights over the control of the minerals. Most likely between the USA, Russia and China.

Answer 2

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