As in outer space. I watched a show on TV last night that had to do with people working in the asteroid belt, mining ice and other such precious cargo there ('The Expanse') and what struck me about the show, and most others I have seen like it, was that despite the physical hardships and challenges of simply existing in such dangerous conditions, what is more difficult to deal with seems to be the psychological side of things. Space is a harsh and eerie environment, and it wears on you.
There is no sound in space and, unless you're very near to any planet, asteroid, or moon, there is no 'view'. Nothing outside the windows reminds you of home, or life, only of death.
Look at the surface of earth's moon. Any welcome signs out there? No! Ditto everywhere else in our solar system but Mars. Mars is the only neighboring world offering a barely tolerable place for humans to live. With some structures built, people would most likely be able to survive and actually grow green things but it's not like you're going to find any of that outside the compound.
Then, far as living on any spaceships is concerned, no matter how big they are they all seem rather sterile, don't they? Plus, they have that 'ark' feel to them, that you're not safe until you get off or out of the thing and are once again walking around on dry land.
Social interactions when everybody on the crew is in some way affected/afflicted, bent in some weird psychological manner, would be volatile. Seems factions of the crew are ready to mutiny at any moment on some shows.
On the plus side, you'd see up close things that nobody on earth ever would and there would either be things that you couldn't describe to earthlings when you got back from your mission, or there would be things that you could not talk to them about, things that you felt or experienced while 'out there'. I've read that every astronaut on the Apollo missions that left the earth's orbit was affected, in a profound way, by what they experienced outside of the earth's magnetic field (though most of them never talked or will talk about it).
OMG we're goin' there?!
Nate Rayfield- Unsplash.com
So what would space travel actually be like, assuming that? Writers of these shows can put all the drama that is readily available on earth into their characters but if what is said to have happened to the Apollo astronauts is any indication maybe it wouldn't be that way. Maybe humans wouldn't be human anymore, in that 'human' has everything to do with earth and nothing whatsoever to do with space. We're not from space, we're from earth. Or is it actually the other way around? Hmm.....
Being outside of the earth's field would undoubtedly change us. It has to. We probably couldn't export our disfunctions outside of earth's orbit- or could we? It's the million dollar question. We've been quarrantined so far on this isolated ball in the vastness of space, so vast it can't in any way be described.
Having warp engine technology could change that but it's only conjecture as to what we'll find and how we will interact with each other and the other beings we may find once we're 'out there'. Warp engines would reduce our time in the can, that's for sure, make any journey less lengthy, but those engines better fire when we need 'em to and there better be back up craft to rescue us if we break down and... ... whew! It's too much.
For me, space travel/life the way it's currently imagined is too fraught with stress and unknowns. Until proven technology and solid social constructs exist I'll be TOTALLY content to watch things play out on TV!