In 2016, two astronauts completed a one-year mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko were closely monitored by doctors throughout their stay at the station, who monitored minute changes in the astronauts' physical and psychological condition.
NASA is positioning this medical experiment as part of its Journey to Mars program, which plans to send humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. However, a new study by a group of researchers led by Konrad Szocik of the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland, calls into question the possibility of founding a Martian colony in the near future due to a number of problems, the solution of which in the near future looks like unfeasible.
“We cannot simulate exactly Martian conditions on Earth, I mean features of Mars such as microgravity or cosmic radiation,” explains Shotsik. "Therefore, we cannot predict the physical and biological consequences of human life on Mars."
He disputes the possibility of recreating "all the perils of a one-way trip [to Mars]" aboard the International Space Station or even Antarctica, which often becomes a place where space conditions are simulated. According to Shotsiku, a flight to Mars requires special training for astronauts - changes in their bodies and thinking.
The scientist believes that modifying the senses with electronics or special medications can help mitigate the emotional reactions that can play out when future Martian colonists face unexpected dangers.
In addition, Shotsik draws attention to the problem of reproduction of the Martian settlers, since the inevitable incest among the colonists will lead to a significant deterioration of the gene pool. As the scientist shows, in order for the threat of extinction of the Martian colony due to genetic diseases to be excluded, the colony must have at least 500 settlers.
The research is published in the journal Space Policy.
