{"id":54618,"date":"2024-02-08T08:12:22","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T08:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/c54a9b13-289a-4f85-af46-8780d6b52c78"},"modified":"2024-02-08T08:32:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T08:32:36","slug":"could-humans-really-survive-a-journey-to-mars","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/could-humans-really-survive-a-journey-to-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"Could humans really survive a journey to Mars?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The journey to put human feet on Mars is going to be a long one, so what might be the effects on the human body and mind as astronauts travel to the Red Planet? <\/p>

By Jasmin Fox-Skelly\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 08 February 2024 at 08:12 AM<\/p>

\n\n

With NASA’s Artemis Mission beginning to ramp up, thoughts turn to humans’ first journey to Mars, but is such a long journey to such an inhospitable world really realistic?<\/p>

A journey to Mars and back would take three years, yet the longest time anyone has ever spent in space during a single trip is 437 days; a record set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov.<\/p>

In February 2024, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononeko broke the record for most cumulative<\/em> time spent in space: 878 non-continuous days on the International Space Station<\/a>.<\/p>

Human bodies have evolved to live on Earth with its unique atmosphere and gravity, so how would a trip to Mars affect our circulatory system, our brains and our bones?<\/p>

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams enjoys a tub of frozen ice cream on the International Space Station. We’ve learned how to live and work in Earth orbit, but what about a three-year trip to Mars?<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Effects of space on the human body<\/strong><\/h2>
Outer space is an inhospitable place. Astronauts are bombarded with carcinogenic radiation, confined to cramped spaces and must receive their nourishment from a restricted diet.<\/p>
An average stay on the Space Station is about six months.<\/p>
Studies carried out on ISS astronauts show this relatively short time frame doesn\u2019t damage the human body too much, but little is known about the long-term effects of space.<\/p>
In March 2016, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth after 340 days on the ISS<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"Scott$
Scott Kelly is pulled out of the Soyuz by the Russian rescue forces after a year in space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Tests were conducted to determine how much their bodies had changed during the One-Year Mission.<\/p>
Speaking on board the station shortly before he returned, Kelly said: “Physically I feel pretty good, although when we look at the data back home there might be effects that are more significant than how I feel.<\/p>
“I could do another 100 days, or another year if it made sense, but I\u2019m looking forward to going home.”<\/p>
As challenging as life on the ISS can be, the journey to Mars would be even more so.<\/p>
Astronauts undertaking such a journey would be more isolated and wouldn\u2019t be able to regularly communicate with people back on Earth.<\/p>
They would also have to cope with three specific challenges: gravity, radiation and confinement.<\/p>
**3 challenges of a journey to Mars<\/strong><\/h2>****Gravity<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"ESA$
ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti using the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device on the International Space Station, which hels astronauts strengthen muscles in zero gravity. Credit: NASA\/ESA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A mission to Mars would involve three gravity fields. Firstly, on the six-month journey to Mars astronauts would be weightless.<\/p>
Then, upon arrival they\u2019d have to live and work in gravity about a third as strong as Earth\u2019s.<\/p>
Finally, they\u2019d have to readjust to Earth\u2019s gravity on their return.<\/p>
Switching and changing between gravity fields is a tricky business. Astronauts lose their balance and spatial orientation, suffer from motion sickness and struggle with head-eye and hand-eye coordination.<\/p>
Going through all this while trying to land a spacecraft on Mars would be very dangerous indeed.<\/p>
$\"JAXA$
JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata exercises on the International Space Station’s treadmill.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
But sickness and confusion aren\u2019t the only risks. Living in zero gravity means the body\u2019s muscles have very little work to do, making them weaken and deteriorate over time.<\/p>
It causes loss in fitness as the heart and lungs can\u2019t pump oxygen around the body as well. Bone density drops at over one per cent a month, putting astronauts at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis.<\/p>
Absence of gravity also means that the fluids in the human body don\u2019t flow as they\u2019re supposed to and instead drain upwards towards the head, putting pressure on the eyes and affecting vision.<\/p>
Confinement<\/strong><\/h3>
$\"The$
The Mars500 crew enjoying breakfast together. Credit: ESA\/Mars500 crew<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The importance of human psychology to a mission can\u2019t be underestimated. During the Mars500<\/a> experiment in 2010, six men spent 520 days sealed inside a small windowless chamber at the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow.<\/p>
The idea was to simulate a mission to Mars in isolation without fresh food, fresh air or sunlight. By the end of the study most of the crew members were suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders.<\/p>
Spending so much time crammed into small spaces with other people can lead to boredom, stress, anxiety and depression.<\/p>
According to Kelly, he spent the majority of his year aboard the ISS living and exercising in a \u201cbox the size of a phone booth\u201d. This space would be even smaller on a mission to Mars.<\/p>
$\"NASA$
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson pictured in the Cupola section of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
NASA only selects astronauts who are extremely mentally resilient, easygoing and have good social skills, but research shows that the more confined and isolated humans are, the more likely they are to develop behavioural and psychiatric disorders.<\/p>
The lack of a day and night cycle can also mess with the body\u2019s natural rhythm, leading to lack of sleep. <\/p>
Along with fatigue from a gruelling work schedule, this could all add to a breakdown in relationships among crew, potentially leading to mission failure.<\/p>
Also, microbes that live in the human body are more easily transferred between people in closed spaces.<\/p>
To add to this, cramped conditions lead to elevated stress hormones that lower the body\u2019s immune defences, making it more susceptible to those same bacteria.<\/p>
**Radiation<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"Space$
Space radiation can be risky business for astronauts. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Earth\u2019s atmosphere and magnetic field protect us from harmful UV and ionising radiation. In space, the dangers of solar radiation are increased, damaging human cells and mutating DNA, leading to cancer.<\/p>
It can also affect the body\u2019s central nervous system and cause nausea, vomiting, anorexia and fatigue.<\/p>
On the ISS, astronauts have to cope with radiation 10 times higher than on Earth, but because the station lies within Earth\u2019s magnetic field<\/a>, it\u2019s much safer than outer space.<\/p>
The Apollo missions relied on the fact that astronauts were only outside Earth\u2019s protective magnetosphere for about 10 days.<\/p>
Astronauts travelling to Mars, however, would encounter radiation levels higher than humans have ever experienced, and be exposed to them for much longer.<\/p>
To protect them, the spacecraft would either have to be much bulkier, making launches expensive and difficult, or be made of more efficient shielding materials.<\/p>
NASA is researching structures called hydrogenated boron nitride nanotubes, which could provide sufficient protection.<\/p>
$\"Astronaut$
Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, during Apollo 14’s first spacewalk, photographed by Alan B. Shepard Jr. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
As radiation levels on the ISS are still comparatively low, astronauts wear dosimeters to track their exposure.<\/p>
However, any mission to Mars would have to take the greater risk posed by prolonged exposure to radiation into account.<\/p>
But what more can NASA do to protect long-duration astronauts from the radiation?<\/p>
\u201cWe don\u2019t yet know what the most effective countermeasures against radiation will be,\u201d explains Mark Shelhamer, former chief scientist at NASA\u2019s Human Research Program.<\/p>
\u201cBut antioxidants and pharmaceuticals that repair cellular damage are among the things we\u2019re looking at,\u201d says Shelhamer.<\/p>
$\"Fresh$
Fresh fruit: enough to put a smile on the face of any astronaut. Here, British astronaut Tim Peake demonstrates how easy juggling is in a weightless environment.Credit: ESA\/NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
As for the other hazards outlined here, the best countermeasures currently available are exercise and diet.<\/p>
\u201cAstronauts exercise about two hours a day on the ISS,\u201d says Shelhamer. \u201cIt\u2019s very effective at countering muscle and bone loss, and degradation of cardiovascular function. It\u2019s also a great psychological boost.<\/p>
“And it\u2019s essential to ensure the crew get the proper nutrients in a food supply that\u2019s not as varied or fresh as on Earth.\u201d<\/p>
One thing is clear: while living and working on Mars may prove an extreme challenge, much work is yet to be done if we are to provide a safe route for astronauts journeying to the Red Planet.<\/p>
Spending long periods in space<\/strong><\/h3>
$\"Scott$
Scott Kelly (left) and Mikhail Kornienko (right) on board the ISS during their year in space. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko spent 340 days on board the ISS as part of NASA\u2019s Human Research Program, which aims to test how the conditions of space affect the human body.<\/p>
Both men regularly collected samples of blood, urine and saliva for later analysis.<\/p>
They underwent tests to measure their aerobic capacity, their ability to make fine movements with their hands and fingers, and several aspects of their cognitive performance.<\/p>
Following their return, scientists continue to measure these properties to see how Kelly and Kornienko\u2019s time in space affects their readjustment back on Earth.<\/p>
This research is especially important for missions to destinations such as Mars, where the astronauts must land and then carry out strenuous work, without assistance from support staff as they have on Earth.<\/p>
This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong>**.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n**
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