Will NASA create genetically engineered astronauts?

Posted by preimert1 8 years ago to Science
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The concept of humans genetically engineered for space travel is scientifically possible now. But should it be done? Will such people be seen as "different" from us? Is this the start of "Blade Runner"? Could the become a separate sub-species--homo-astrians or something?


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  • Posted by $ allosaur 8 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Wow, this is the first time I made the mental connection that Robocop is indeed a cyborg.
    I was an Alabama corrections officer when that movie came out and there was a new trainee who picked up the nickname, Robocop.
    He kinda walked like Robocop, he barked orders at inmates kinda like Robocop and then poof he was quits and gone.
    Maybe someone needed Robocop parts.
    Manny did not last up to five years at that prison anyway.
    Most of my original coworkers were gone by the mid-90s.
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  • Posted by Temlakos 8 years ago
    If Lebensborn is any indicator, any such attempt will fail. NASA know a lot about aerospace engineering but next to nothing about genetic engineering. That everyone else knows even less is beside the point.
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  • Posted by 8 years ago in reply to this comment.
    How about Robocop? I supose if a person can mentally control a prosthesis they are technically a cyborg.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 8 years ago in reply to this comment.
    During the early 60s, I first saw the word, cyborg, in a forgotten for a name short-lived comic book about outer space syfy. It explained what a cyborg was with Star Wars kinda detail.
    Heard the word again during the 70s with "The Million Dollar Man" TV series.
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 8 years ago in reply to this comment.
    The first installment can be found on Amazon, The Vostok Revelation. It's only about 110 ebook pages. It doesn't really hit on this subject the same way, but it was inspired by this line of thought.
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 8 years ago
    I speculate that living and organic deep space exploration, while genetically human, will scarcely be recognized as human by humans on earth. The distances alone require generations of humans to have to have been grown, lived, and died without ever having set foot on Earth or having breathed natural air. I anticipate genetic splicing to include, but not limited to, hibernation, less oxygen consumption, less food consumption, lower dependence on light to conserve power, and four arms (no legs) since floating will allow each of the four hands to be of productive use. Further, when physical planetary exploration is needed such genetic splicing/modification could allow for enhanced tolerance to specific environments; breathing less oxygen or perhaps methane, better resistance to whatever radiation is encountered, revised musculature and bones to better handle rugged terrain, perhaps webbed hands and feet for aqueous worlds, or perhaps even enhanced eyelids (or duplicated eyelids) to better protect vision.

    I suspect that if these human sub-species returned home they would considered aliens by their appearance, before they were genetically examined.

    This could be coming from the novel series I'm currently writing. Either way its fascinating stuff. Fun to ponder.
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