Forgotten on Mars, Matt Damon in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Martian" had to cope with many difficulties on his own in order to survive on the Red Planet. However, in real life, you would have to fight for this very life long before you actually get to Mars itself. Indeed, in addition to radiation, psychological and physical problems associated with a long stay in space, a person will have to face other tests during real flights to Mars. Let's take a look at the most obvious ones.
Longer Martian days
A Martian day is only about 40 minutes longer than on Earth. And although at first glance you can, on the contrary, be glad that you will have as much as 40 minutes more every day, this can actually turn out to be a very serious problem, since a person's daily biological rhythm is designed for 24 hours. An extra 40 minutes every day on Mars will soon lead to the person developing jet lag, which in turn will manifest itself in the form of constant fatigue and poor health.
NASA aerospace operators have already experienced all the "joys" of this syndrome, as they had to work in accordance with Martian time, as soon as one of the first rovers sent to Mars began their daily work on the Red Planet. All employees of the Sojourner space mission to Mars, for example, adhered to the same time in which the rover had to work. After a month of such a busy schedule, the operators, as they say, fizzled out.
For subsequent Martian rovers, NASA's control center was able to successfully keep to Martian time for three months, but by the end of the mission, workers were still very tired. Based on observations, scientists have found that a person is able to adhere to Martian time only for short periods. Astronauts, who will have to stay on Mars for months, will never be able to get out of the framework of Martian time.
Earlier studies of sleep issues showed that the human body has a natural 25-hour biological rhythm, however, as it turned out later, the results of these studies were incorrect. After new observations were made, none of the participants was able to adapt to Martian time.
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Reduced gravity
Despite the possibility of simulating space travel to Mars aboard the International Space Station by a long stay on it, the effect of prolonged exposure of the human body to Martian gravity (38 percent of Earth's) still remains a mystery to scientists. Will prolonged exposure to this partial gravity preserve the integrity of muscle and skeletal density? And if not, how to deal with it? Considering that on any flight to Mars, a person will have to spend many months in a closed tin can, finding answers to these questions is critical.
In less than ideal simulations, two studies in mice have shown that bone and muscle loss under conditions of Martian gravity can be tantamount to no gravity at all. The first study found that even being in an environment with 70 percent Earth's gravity would not prevent muscle and bone loss.
In a second study, the researchers found that mice lost at least about 20 percent of their skeletal mass in low-gravity environments. However, it should be borne in mind that all these studies are based on simulations. Until astronauts actually land on Mars, it will be impossible to know the true effects of reduced gravity on their bodies.
Harsh Martian surface
The first thing Neil Armstrong figured out after stepping onto the lunar surface was that the landing area was literally covered in large boulders that posed a danger to his lander. A similar problem could arise for astronauts who will land on Mars. They will have very little time to identify and avoid hitting the lander on such cobblestones or sandstones. Rocks and various slopes can cause the Mars lander to overturn. The fact is that even very large changes in the plane of the surface can be very difficult to detect from orbit, so people who will create landing plans can simply accidentally miss such changes.
Small cracks and depressions can also deceive the sensors, which, in turn, can lead to untimely release of parachutes or landing legs, as well as incorrect automatic calculation of landing speed. The chances that the lander could face a disaster due to an incorrectly analyzed landing site are surprisingly very high. One study found that these chances are about 20 percent.
Rocket nose fairing size
In the development of a manned Mars landing module, one serious technical problem arises almost instantly - the diameter of the rocket nose cone, on which this Mars module will be launched. Despite the current diameter of the largest fairing being 8.4 meters, it will be very difficult to match its size with the design of a manned Mars lander.
The protective heat shield needed to protect the heavy load would then be too large to fit under the fairing. Therefore, in this case, most likely, it will be necessary to use the inflatable heat shield technology, the development of which is currently only at the experimental stage.
Using the current radome design for a Mars mission would require a much more compact lander that would fit the 8.4 meter radome. Any larger modules simply won't fit.
Even if it is decided to use a more compact lander, then, most likely, due to such technical limitations, its design will have to be redone. For example, we will have to recycle not only the location of the astronauts, but also the fuel tanks of the module. The size of the fairing itself cannot be changed, because this destabilizes the launch vehicle.
Supersonic TDU
One of the main ways to reduce the speed of the Mars landing module for soft docking with the Martian surface is the supersonic braking propulsion system (TSP). Its essence lies in the use of jet engines directed towards the movement to decelerate the apparatus from supersonic speeds.
The use of a supersonic TDU in the thin rarefied atmosphere of Mars is a must. However, starting supersonic engines could create a shockwave that could damage the Mars lander. NASA, for example, has little experience with such procedures, which in turn reduces the chances of the entire mission being successful.
This technology has three problematic aspects. First, the interaction effect between airflow and engine exhaust gases can literally split the lander in half. Second, the heat generated by the exhaust of the spent rocket fuel can heat the lander. Third, maintaining the stability of the lander when launching supersonic TDUs can be a very daunting task.
Despite previous small-scale wind tunnel testing of such TDEs, many full-scale tests are required to determine the reliability of such a system. This is a very expensive and time consuming task. However, the same NASA may also have an alternative (indirect) version of testing such systems. US private company SpaceX is actively trying to develop a reusable rocket that uses a similar landing principle. And it should be noted that there are successes in this direction.
Static electricity
Yes, yes, the same one that makes your hair stand on end, or a small electric shock when you touch something. Here on Earth, static electricity may be the subject of various jokes and practical jokes (although it can also be dangerous in Earth conditions), but on Mars, static electricity can turn into serious problems for astronauts.
On Earth, most static discharges are due to the insulating properties of the rubber bases of the shoes we wear. On Mars, the surface of Mars itself will serve as the insulating material. Even just walking across the Martian surface, an astronaut can build up enough static electricity to burn electronics, such as the airlock's airlock, simply by touching the outer metal casing of the ship.
The peculiarity and dryness of the Martian surface makes it an excellent insulating material. Particles on the Martian surface can be up to 50 times smaller than dust particles on Earth. When walking on it, a certain amount of it will accumulate on the astronauts' boots. When the Martian wind blows it off, his shoes will build up enough charge to cause a slight electrical shock, which in such conditions could be enough to bury the entire mission.
The Martian rovers, now working on the Red Planet, use special thinnest needles that discharge the charge into the atmosphere and prevent it from hitting the electronics of the rovers. In the case of manned missions to Mars, special spacesuits will be required to protect both the astronauts and the equipment they will use.
Suitable booster
The Space Launch System (SLS) is currently the largest launch vehicle in development and is expected to be used in the near future. It is this rocket that the West plans to use for manned missions to Mars.
NASA's current plans call for a dozen SLS rockets for one manned mission to Mars. However, the current ground infrastructure for SLS launches meets the necessary conditions only in minimal parameters: it is necessary to have at least one room for assembling the rocket, one giant conveyor for delivering the rocket to the launch pad and one launch pad itself.
If even one of these components breaks or fails, serious concerns will arise about the availability of the required launch vehicle, which in turn will call into question the very possibility of a manned mission to Mars.
For example, any delays associated with setting up and validating all SLS systems can make major changes to start-up schedules. Less significant technical problems and even weather conditions can create the same problems.
In addition, the in-orbit docking required to assemble a spacecraft to go to Mars requires compliance with the so-called launch window, that is, the time within which the rocket will be launched. In addition, launching a spacecraft to Mars directly from the Earth's orbit also requires compliance with a certain time frame. Scientists have developed entire launch models based on historical data on early shuttle launches. They show a lack of confidence that the SLS rocket will be available at a certain launch window, which in turn can also put an end to any manned mission to Mars.
Toxic Martian soil
In 2008, NASA's robotic probe made a historic discovery. Perchlorates have been found on the surface of Mars. Despite the fact that these toxic reagents have found their way into industrial production, they can cause serious problems with their thyroid gland in people, even when used in small quantities.
On Mars, the concentration of perchlorates in the soil is 0.5 percent, which is already very dangerous for humans. If astronauts bring these reagents into their Martian dwellings, then over time, pollution will surely happen, and then poisoning.
Decontamination procedures commonly used in the mining industry can help reduce the likelihood of contamination to some extent. However, it will not be possible to completely get rid of the problem in the conditions of Mars, and, therefore, astronauts will sooner or later expect problems with the thyroid glands.
In addition, poisoning with body perchlorates is associated with various diseases of the circulatory system. True, scientists in this direction have not yet advanced far, and therefore the elucidation of all the effects of perchlorates on the human body has yet to be learned. Therefore, in the long term, the consequences of being on the Red Planet are very difficult to predict.
It is likely that astronauts will have to constantly take artificial hormones to maintain their metabolism in order to combat the effects of long-term exposure to perchlorates.
Long-term storage of rocket fuel
We need rocket fuel to fly to Mars and back. Huge fuel supply. The most efficient rocket fuel at the moment is cryogenic fuel, which is liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
This fuel must be constantly cooled during storage. However, even with maximum preparation, according to statistics, 3-4 percent hydrogen leakage occurs monthly from fuel tanks. If, already in flight, astronauts find that their fuel tanks do not have enough fuel for the way back home, then - you yourself understand - a complete disaster will occur.
Astronauts will have to monitor the boiling off of cryogenic fuel for several years until their mission on the Red Planet takes place. Additional fuel could be produced directly on Mars itself, but its storage and cooling will require the installation of special coolers, which, in turn, require electricity to operate. Therefore, before starting a mission to Mars, we need to conduct many long-term tests of fuel storage technologies to ensure that we have enough fuel under all circumstances.
Love and disagreements
In the framework of long-term space flights, no one can renounce the emergence of a romantic relationship between the crew members. By the end of a difficult working day, many people need psychological and physical relaxation, the way out of which is just a love relationship. And while at first glance it all sounds cute and romantic, in practice in space, this kind of relationship can be very bad for the entire mission.
In 2008, a group of people participated in an experiment. The long stay in an enclosed space was used as a simulation of a flight to Mars. The events of the experiment spiraled out of control at a time when one of the "astronauts" was very upset that his girlfriend refused to have sex with him and chose a third astronaut instead. Being in a state of constant stress and fatigue, the first astronaut at some point could not stand it, and it all ended with a broken jaw of the third astronaut. If this was not an experiment, but a real space mission, then such behavior would seriously question its success.
Unfortunately, NASA doesn't even try to consider all of these possibilities. According to a recent report from the US National Academy of Sciences, NASA did not investigate the issues of possible sexual relations in space missions to Mars at all, and also did not deal with the issues of possible compatibility of psychotypes of people in long-term space missions.