Recent evidence suggests that training in Antarctica or on the International Space Station will not provide the necessary training for the first Martian settlers.
In 2016, two astronauts spent almost a year on the ISS. After that, Scott Kelly (NASA) and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko were carefully studied, fixing changes in physical and psychological health.
NASA is promoting a mission to the Mars Trip project, in which they hope to send people to the Red Planet in the 2030s. But a recent article published in the journal Space Policy claims that the Martian conditions are so different that it is almost impossible to imitate these parameters on the Earth.
“We will not be able to recreate the same physical and environmental conditions of the Martian environment. I mean Martian microgravity and radiation, ”says cognitive scientist from the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow (Poland) Konrad Sotsik. “Therefore, we cannot predict those physical and biological effects affecting Mars.”
He argues that it is impossible to simulate all possible hazards on the ISS or even in Antarctica, which is often used for such studies. Satsik says that people in Antarctica do not need artificial support for life to the extent that astronauts need it. This does not mean that Antarctica or ISS are not suitable for training. Sotsik just thinks that he will have to change the bodies and minds of people before sending them to Mars.
He proposes an electronic enhancement of a person’s feelings or prescribe drugs that will reduce emotional reactions at the time of crisis. Of course, all this is still in the field of science fiction.
Sotsik is concerned about how the Martian colony will function. While researchers are discussing technological and financial problems, no one has particularly studied the social aspects of transporting people to the Martian colony.
“Man is a social animal in need of a group,” he said. “In a crowd, differences and problems always arise, and we must foresee these moments and be able to quickly eliminate.”
He is also worried about the reproduction system on Mars, which needs not only technological and medical support, but also a large enough colony to avoid the risk of inbreeding. According to his calculations, the population should be at least 500 adults. In addition, physicians should reduce the likely mortality due to disease, possible technological failures and radiation.
Sotsik earlier wrote about what religion will spread on Mars and how it will affect the psyche. This is the first attempt to predict the behavior of humanity on the Red Planet.
