NASA's aerospace agency and SpaceX are not only trying to figure out how to get a person to Mars, they are also thinking about how a 200-day journey and actually life itself on the Red Planet can affect the human body and what to do about it. Apparently, people expect all the "delights" of a long-term stay in space conditions: muscle atrophy, loss of bone density, increased intracranial pressure, and other physiological problems. Coupled with a lack of resources and long-term exposure to cosmic radiation, the trip promises to be extremely exciting and interesting.
To solve the problem, NASA and agency partners are working on a system that will put people into a state of complete inactivity, which, in fact, will be the very hibernation that we are shown in science fiction films. In addition, the development of protective methods and means that will allow people to survive on Mars are underway. At the Hello Tomorrow science symposium recently held in Paris, Engadget reporters caught NASA's Laura Kerber and John Bradford, head of space technology company Spaceworks, to find out more.
“We face a lot of difficulties that do not allow us to get to Mars in a healthy state,” - said Bradford as part of his speech at the event.
As an expert in human space exploration, Bradford is developing a method that will avoid many of the problems described at the beginning of this article by placing a person in a "state of complete inactivity" or prolonged hypothermia. The use of this technology will not only reduce the risks associated with the health of astronauts, but also solve many technical and engineering problems.
From a medical point of view, the technology will solve any types of so-called psychosocial disorders (being in a state of constant sleep, for example, you will be able to avoid such a condition as depression), reduce the problem of intracranial pressure, and the use of other methods, such as electrical stimulation, will minimize the process of muscle atrophy loss of bone density and in the long term will even have a positive effect on solving the problem of the effects of cosmic radiation on the body.
From a technical point of view, the use of the technology of introducing the body into a state of complete inactivity will significantly simplify the task of NASA and SpaceX to deliver people to Mars. First, this will significantly reduce the need for food, as well as reduce the requirements for the volume of living space inside the spacecraft and, therefore, the level of energy required to power it.
“All these things add extra load to the spacecraft. The propulsive energy required has an exponential function (a function of mass), so any reduction in mass will open up significant benefits for us,”said Bradford.
The phrase "complete inactivity of the body" can sound creepy. But this thing really works. The normal body temperature of a person is usually around 36.6 degrees Celsius, but in people who are in a state of inactivity, when using the method of therapeutic hypothermia, the body temperature is usually between 32-34 degrees Celsius. This method is often used to reduce the risk of ischemic tissue damage and, for example, was used at the Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher to reduce the focus of inflammation in the damaged brain.
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Unlike medical hypothermia, which usually lasts only a few days, astronauts are planned to be put into a state of complete inactivity for a period of two weeks, then awakened for a couple of days so that they can relieve all their needs, and then repeat the process. And so on until they get to Mars. This can carry certain risks. Long-term sedation (a person will be like a "vegetable" all this time), the issue of nutrition, hydration, waste disposal and proper climate control - these are just a few of the problems that will have to be solved before using this method.
To address the issue, Spaceworks and NASA want to look at a combination of three different approaches: medical, physiological, and pharmaceutical. First, the option of taking special medications is being considered, which will make the body think that the temperature of 32-34 degrees Celsius is "normal" for it. And secondly, the option of using the PEG method (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is being considered. This is when a tube is directly connected to your stomach to carry food into it. It sounds extremely radical, but, according to experts, this approach will greatly simplify the body's transition from complete inaction to awakening.
It also discusses methods of electrical stimulation of the whole body to reduce muscle atrophy, the use of a respiratory support apparatus (to keep the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide), sensors for monitoring vital signs, a computer-controlled temperature environment and, of course, a system for removing waste from the body. As you can see in the picture above, the overall system will be more like the hibernation cameras that we are used to seeing in various science fiction films.
As a result of using such a system (scientists hope), we will get completely healthy and happy astronauts, as well as more compact and at the same time more efficient spacecraft. In this case, the Martian space transport can be reduced in size by almost half, reducing its mass from 45.5 to 25.5 tons, as well as reducing the amount of required living space inside the ship by almost half, while reducing the energy consumption of its systems by a quarter. Delivering thousands of people to create a full-fledged Martian colony would be a real prospect indeed.
“I believe that such an approach will open up the possibility of space flights to Mars and in other directions. Without the use of really advanced technology (like the one we offer), you simply won't succeed,”says Bradford.
Maybe in this case you will arrive on Mars happy and healthy, but your real problems will only begin.
“One of the toughest challenges to face is the high pressure environment, requiring you to use an uncomfortable, pressurized space suit, and extremely cold temperatures at night,” says NASA / JPL planetary geologist Laura Kerber.
To resolve this issue, NASA specialists are developing lighter space suits, with support for lower internal pressure, by compensating for its mechanical compression on the body.
Cosmic radiation is also a big problem, since Mars, unlike Earth, does not have its own protective magnetic field. Gravity here is only 1/3 that of Earth, and scientists are not yet sure exactly how it will affect the settlers. Researchers also need to learn more about Martian dust - how dangerous it is on the human respiratory system and skin.
In addition to environmental problems, there are geographic ones. Mars has large land reserves, but the topological picture is rather rough.
“The length of the Mariner Valley canyon system here is equivalent to the size of the United States. Driving here in your rover, you might think of going around this place, as the canyon is three times the depth of the Grand Canyon. Forget right away. There is no way to go around here."
Landslides, impact craters (occurring much more often here than on Earth), carbon dioxide geysers, dust storms across the planet's surface and much more - among other things, you will have to face these. Resources are another issue.
“The main catch is that most of Mars' water supply is concentrated in places where it is simply impossible to live,” says Kerber.
“There is a lot of water at the poles of the planet, where it is very cold. But if you go down closer to the equator, it is much warmer here and much easier to go into orbit. True, there is no water here. Absolutely. Well, or almost completely,”the scientist adds.
Even if the astronauts manage to find water here, they will have a choice - to use it as a drinking source or as a source of hydrogen and oxygen production for rocket fuel.
There is a positive side to life on Mars, Kerber jokes. You will immediately lose two-thirds of your mass, you will have 40 minutes more time every day, and you will also be younger than earthlings, since the year here lasts almost twice as long.
NASA uses rovers to study the level of radiation, atmosphere and geology of the Red Planet, but there are still many unresolved questions regarding this place. New missions will be required to collect additional information and verify the same indicators in different parts of the world. Kerber notes that having a new orbiting spacecraft with higher-resolution cameras to search for valuable minerals that could be useful for survival on the planet would be of immense benefit.
Bagnold Dunes at Mount Sharpe
So where on Mars is the most suitable place to live? According to the same Kerber, she liked the region near the equator. There are various fine-grained materials that can be used for road construction. The presence of rocks in this place opens up the possibility of drilling caves in them, which can be used as dwellings.
“Living on Mars, you will be at the forefront of technology, which means you will have the most advanced technology available. However, this life is more likely to be like a primitive existence,”says Kerber.
“I imagine it as a time in our history when all people lived in caves. In our case, while in a cave, you will be protected from cosmic radiation and sudden temperature changes. Coming closer to the exit, a fantastic picture of the surrounding world and a stream of fresh cosmic radiation will await you. Everyday.
In general, at first, when flying to the Red Planet, a person will have to be in a state of hypothermic coma, more like a vegetable with numerous wires stuck into it, and upon arrival, climb into a cave and count the days until the death of his miserable existence. Just great prospects! Who the hell would ever dare to do this? Certainly not a person who just wants to be younger and have more free time, as Kerber previously noted.
For this, only real desperate daredevils are suitable, like those (and equally of both sexes), whom the Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer Sir Enrest Henry Shackleton was looking for in the early 1900s, who wrote the following in a newspaper ad:
"An extremely dangerous adventure requires people who are not afraid of small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, the constant presence of danger, the unlikely return home alive, as well as fame and recognition if successful."
Nikolay Khizhnyak
