Spending a few minutes outside the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of euros, or even $28 million at auction? Space tourism plays a very small role: NASA is introducing a year on Mars, plus it will pay volunteers who want to fulfill the dream of Elon Musk. Only downside, there will only be simulations.
Radiation, landing and psychology… the five massive challenges to a manned mission to Mars
US space agency already announced August 6 is looking for candidates for this Mars mission, which will begin in the fall of 2022.
She wants to study how highly motivated individuals will cope with the long-term rigors of Earth simulation. Three sets of one year each scheme, to search “What methods and technologies should be developed to prevent and solve potential problems for future human space missions to the Moon and Mars”.
Each of these three experiences will have four crew members, living and working in a 158-square-meter 3D-printed unit called Mars Dune Alpha. their home “It will simulate the challenges of a mission to Mars, including limited resources, equipment failures, transmission delays, and other environmental stresses. Crew duties may include simulating spacewalks, scientific research, use of virtual reality and robotics, and communication exchange.”
Mars target: They are working on installation on the red planet
Candidates must be Are in good health, citizens or permanent residents of the United States, non-smokers, and between the ages of 30 and 55. The agency said the selection would follow NASA’s criteria when recruiting astronauts.
Simulation for a decade
These volunteers must have a master’s degree in engineering, mathematics, biology, physics or computer science with at least two years of professional experience in one of these areas. Or if not, you have at least a thousand hours of flying a plane for them.
These hypothetical Mars won’t be the first to give way to such confinement:
In 2010-2011, Russian, European and Chinese volunteers were locked up for 520 days to simulate a trip to Mars.
In 2015-2016, NASA locked up six volunteers for 365 days.
– Finally, experiments of shorter duration have been conducted or are still in progress, mostly in deserts (Saudi Arabia, Utah).
By the time humans actually set foot on the Red Planet, such experiences will likely happen again and again. Frances Rocard, an astrophysicist at the National Center for Space Studies (Cnes) and author of Flammarion’s “The Latest News from Mars,” explained last year to “Obs” that “Sending men to Mars is a process that will take decades, because there are many challenges to overcome.”
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