In connection with the Mars One project, within which it is planned to colonize Mars, scientists decided to tell what it will be like to live on the Red Planet. According to experts, there are great risks for both physical and mental health of a person.
Humans have been going deep into space for over 50 years. The most significant events during this time: in 1961, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space; in 1969 Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin became the first people on the moon; in 1998, the International Space Station launched its first module. More recently, our space exploration has begun to reach new heights with the launch of Mars One and its mission to produce the first human colony on Mars by 2033.
Despite half a century of space exploration, scientists have only recently begun researching the effects of space travel on the brain. The question of what our brains will look like after spending a lot of time in space. The question is becoming more and more relevant, especially before the creation of a colony on Mars. The first group of Mars colonists is expected to begin training this year and will go through 14 years of training before leaving Earth in 2031 and finally landing on Mars in 2032. While establishing a human colony on Mars will be another giant leap for all of humanity, how dangerous is it?
Scientists have known for some time that space travel is bad for the body. The human body is not designed to live in a weightless state. When in microgravity (colloquially called "zero gravity"), the orientation that is provided by the Earth's gravity is lost. In addition, bones decrease in density at a rate of 1% per month in microgravity. For comparison, older men and women living on Earth lose bone tissue at a rate of 1-1.5% per year. In addition, without the need to walk and stand in microgravity, muscles lose strength and endurance.
In addition, of the main negative factors affecting the first colonists, there will be complete isolation from humanity, constant routine and lack of psychological assistance from experts. Some astronauts previously argued that it is very difficult from the point of view of psychology to be in a confined space, far from loved ones for months. So, the participants of the first flights to Mars will live on the planet not even for months, but for many years, which will entail very great mental stress, and some will be able to observe mental insanity.
Roman Klaviaturovich