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NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

theblaze.com

11–20 of 94 posts

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#12
post #5
post #3

I wonder if this is a continuation of the same research the habitat podcast was based on: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/the-habitat The podcast was an interesting big brother style reality show depicting 6 people living inside a potential Mars habitat for a year as research for NASA. Descriptions sound very similar. May want to listen to the podcast before you volunteer :-)

I remember the Biosphere 2 project from the early 90s which was everywhere in the news but didn't work out. "Biosphere 2 was only used twice for its original intended purposes as a closed-system experiment: once from 1991 to 1993, and the second time from March to September 1994. Both attempts, though heavily publicized, ran into problems including low amounts of food and oxygen, die-offs of many animals and plants i…

I actually think Biosphere 2 was quite successful. As an engineering project it failed, but in terms of research it provided a lot of useful data.

The core issue with the design was actually concrete absorbing Oxygen from the interior air. That’s exactly the kind of issue you want to consider if we ever want to actually make sustainable habitats. Unfortunately, they never tried to make a biosphere 3, but I suspect that would have been far less ambitious yet more successful.

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#13
post #2

NASA missed an opportunity not conducting the study over the last 15 months. They could have recruited hundreds of millions of study participants with no additional costs or fundamental behavior alterations required.

I wouldn't be so sure that the next 12 months will be too much different.

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#14
post #9

We’re posting links from The Blaze now? Really?

While I don't want to see HN devolving into political arguments about what sources are and aren't good, I do feel like it's worth noting that

1- this site is full of ads, with terrible information density

2- it's just summarizing an official press release [1], on a site that does not have ads (the site itself is sort of an ad I suppose)

I can't see any reason why you would want to post this Blaze link instead of the NASA link, especially given the high flamewar potential

[1] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-is-recruiting-for-yearlong...

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#16
post #2

NASA missed an opportunity not conducting the study over the last 15 months. They could have recruited hundreds of millions of study participants with no additional costs or fundamental behavior alterations required.

Not being able to go to your favorite cafe / restaurant as frequently != being confined in a windowless structure

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#17
post #13
post #2

NASA missed an opportunity not conducting the study over the last 15 months. They could have recruited hundreds of millions of study participants with no additional costs or fundamental behavior alterations required.

I wouldn't be so sure that the next 12 months will be too much different.

One difference is that many potential participants in this experiment will have been living a somewhat restricted life for the past 15 months and will be less willing than usual to continue that experience

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#18
post #2

NASA missed an opportunity not conducting the study over the last 15 months. They could have recruited hundreds of millions of study participants with no additional costs or fundamental behavior alterations required.

Not being able to go to your favorite cafe / restaurant as frequently != being confined in a windowless structure

Why does it need to be windowless? You could have windows looking out at arid landscapes of Mars. You'd see sunsets, sunrises, highnoon, etc. You could even see the local "weather".

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not being able to go to your favorite cafe / restaurant as frequently != being confined in a windowless structure

Why does it need to be windowless? You could have windows looking out at arid landscapes of Mars. You'd see sunsets, sunrises, highnoon, etc. You could even see the local "weather".

This is what was described about this simulation

Re: NASA is looking for people who want to spend a year simulating a mission on Mars

#20
post #6

Perhaps ask Jeff Bezos? :)

Jeff is currently too occupied sueing NASA for not giving him money to use a space craft he hasn't built yet. Then again, maybe NASA should select him as he can't be doing too much suing if he's sequestered for a year.
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