Scott Kelly - an astronaut from NASA who worked in space for a year on the International Space Station. Does he have things from the long-awaited film with Matt Damon “The Martian”, which will be released on October 2 and is a chronicle of the lives of astronauts who live on the surface of Mars? At this time, Kelly, of course, is not alone in space. Most of the work he does will be useful for future travel to Mars. These are some of the things that an astronaut working as Mark Watney (Damon's character in The Martian) is very grateful for.
Enjoying sunset
The sun goes through an 11-year cycle of activity, and we simply pass by the peak of one of these cycles. Sun peak is the time when the Sun opens more flares and coronal mass ejections (of charged particles). When these particles fall into the Earth’s magnetic field, they can produce impressive auroras. But they can also reward astronauts with a higher dose of radiation. The space station monitors the level of radiation for astronauts who are close to Earth.
In fact, one of the reasons why Kelly was chosen for this mission is that he did not exceed the level of radiation life time allowed for astronauts. The radiation is expected to be too strong for those to leave the limits of the magnetic influence of the Earth. Mars does not have such a strong magnetic field. Therefore, the Curiosity rover is used to obtain more detailed information on the magnetic field of Mars.
Mental internal state
Working in outer space is a tough business. You're busy all the time, you're stuck in a limited little environment with a few people, and your family and friends are far away. NASA is constantly trying to maintain a close relationship with the psychological health of its astronauts through measures such as the doctor’s constant connection with astronauts, and they in turn keep diaries during missions. This is especially important for Mars, because the astronauts must be even more self-sufficient due to the time delay between the two planets.
NASA conducts ongoing research on the duration of a com for astronauts who perform simple tasks. These tasks and their effects on astronauts will be studied as the workflow continues.
Monitoring of physical abnormalities
Microgravity is difficult for your body to carry. NASA has developed its space exercises, which are designed to help counteract bone loss for missions whose duration is about six months. But what if the deadline increases to about a year or more? This is one of the questions that Kelly’s mission suggests to answer. But bones are not the only thing to worry about. The muscles contract, the pressure on the eyeballs also increases, there is a feeling of change in balance. Even your immune system can be affected. This is what NASA is trying to consider in detail. Thus, although we believe that astronauts in outer space simply perform their tasks, but this is not only their work. They themselves understand that they are also part of the experiment. Their health is very carefully monitored, because the benefit of future space missions depends on it.
Proper nutrition
While Watney develops a certain attachment to potatoes, Kelly recently published his photo, where he looks quite funny next to a floating bunch of different fruits. Any nutritionist will tell you that a varied healthy diet is good for you, and that Apollo astronauts survived their missions not only on lyophilized materials. NASA is conducting an on-site experiment to see how good such food needs are with astronauts.
Work in a closed space
Kelly is not only an astronaut, but also a scientist, doctor, farmer and sometimes a plumber. Moreover, he must do all these things in a small space. Since every pound raised in space costs money, astronauts are used to working in a very small space. But NASA is concerned about the efficiency and happiness of its astronauts, and is also conducting an experiment that is studying how best to build a living space for astronauts. Thus, the habitat intended for Mars will be suitable for long-term residence.
Return to Earth
During a recent Twitter chat, Kelly was asked if he wanted to go to Mars. He said yes, but only if he can return. The road to Mars and back will take hundreds of days, not to mention the time on the surface. Gravity on Mars is 40% less than what we experience here on Earth. And if the design of the spacecraft does not change significantly, then the astronauts will be in microgravity on the way there and back. An experiment in which Kelly is involved will show how well astronauts work on the surface. This will predict not only the return process, but also show whether they can adapt to Mars.
