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Crew Ends 100 Day Mars Simulation in Arctic
Paul server guy writes "According to Wired Science the seven person F-XI LDM crew that has been stationed at the Mars Society's FMARS station has completed their unprecedented 100 day simulation. (Actually 101 days, because for 37 they lived on 'Mars time' adding 39 minutes to each day) According to the mission's remote science principal investigator Chris McKay, of NASA Ames. 'Their pioneering simulation of crew operations on Mars time is by far the best work on this topic ever done. It sets the standard for future Mars mission simulations.'"
So when do we send people to Mars?
And do we send politicians first?
Ignore this signature. By order.
Did someone club Anne and Sax and lock them in a room together until they figured out their feelings? 'cause that's gonna save a LOT of trouble. Trust me.
End of lesson. You may press the button.
Get your ass to mars.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Its a bunch of space nerds wasting their time.
Why?
The gravity is wrong.
The solar radiation is wrong.
The atmospheric pressure is wrong.
The soil chemistry is all wrong.
So what have they proved other than they can sit in a phoney "space base" for 100 days and run around in mickey mouse home made space suits? Nothing.
"It sets the standard for future Mars mission simulations." The fact that it says "for future Mars mission simulations" instead of just "for Mars missions" shows how far away we really are.
Wasn't it that the optimal duration of a day for humans is somewhere around 25 or 26 hours?
I always try to maximize my awake time; as Pitr would say, Sleep, she is for the weak.
And now for one truly scary detail:
Why is this scary? Well, consider this:
They're training Fremen!
Ignore this signature. By order.
I would think this experience would lend itself more towards group initiative and synergy to get by than "self-reliant". I mean come on, they are probably told when to eat, sleep and fart by a NASA computer.
Walk with Music;
The thing that really scared me was this:
extreme space exploration can help make living sustainably sexy
I think they meant that sustainable living would look sexy, not that space exploration gives you Priapism.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
It must have been hard living in a pre-fab environment never seeing the sun and wearing the same clothes for days. Now they can go back to their mom's basement where the conditions will be at least slightly different from a mars mission.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
It will, if they use M$ Winblozes and big dumb company products and services on the mission which takes aways their freedoms. Am I right or am I right?
The Spice Must Flow
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
And no pictures from the Titanic movie were used in this Arctic simulation environment... ;-)
The test probarly produced results known decades ago. The main problem - effects of long human exposure to microgravity are still barley known. It resembles some similiar tests that were conducted , that as it was revealed were fraudy and had little scientific results
Ha.
sigs, as if you care.
What space nerd would refuse to participate in an "F-XI LDM" crew at the "FMARS" station?
Being cooped up as part of a large crew for an extended period seems important enough to not deserve your ridicule. The ISS crew is only three people. At least we have some data from the ISS about long term effects of (zero) gravity, (zero) atmosphere, and (plenty of) radiation, with Mars being somewhere between space and Earth in those respects.
Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
It's not like they are supposed to get scientific results back the same as on Mars - part of what they are doing though is living in the same islotation, and working outside in realistic suits just as they would be on mars. They are seeing what works with transportation and tools that can be operated when you have to maintain a reasonable level of isolation from the environment around you. Working the Arctic helps because you are approximating the cold temperatures on Mars.
As for gravity, it's not like the moon. No it's not as much as Earth but it's still a very solid level of gravity that is comparable.
What you don't understand about the Mars people is that the end goal is a private mission to Mars - why wait around for the government? And, they have a reasonable plan for doing so with current technology.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I can't believe how many people seem to think this was a pointless waste of time. Sure, it's a very limited simulation, but it's a very good proof-of-concept study, and hopefully provided additional data on the psychological stresses that would be placed on a team of astronauts trying to establish an extraterrestrial base. By all means, they should incorporate more variables (true self-sufficiency, extended duration, etc) in future studies, but let's applaud an effort to study the human factors involved in space exploration.
Where are we going, and why are we in this handbasket?
No one knows how to land anything big enough on Mars anyway
Sadly, its going to be a long long time before it happens for real. Zubrins "Mars Direct" plan http://www.cbqc.net/mars/docs/md_reno.txt is the best one using current tech - but it has so many possible ways it can fail that it will not be picked up by todays ultra risk-adverse space admins. The biggest mistake NASA ever made was to ditch the Saturn 5 and 1b systems that took Apollo to the moon - the Skylabs sent up with the later Apollos already did most of the usedful research being being replicated by the overpriced ISS, and they had designs in the pipeline for long term moon-bases, all using Sat5 boosters. Ironically, ditching Apollo never saved the money Nixon thought it would, and yet set manned exploration back 50 years (2019 is about "return to moon" time). Zubrins "Direct to Mars" plan uses two Sat 5 sized launchers for a 3 year round trip Mars mission.
Because of the logistical problems of a manned mars round trip, someone actually preposed we should find volenteers for a one way trip!! Seriously, just find devoted (and perhaps older) individuals who would risk going to stay - maybe with the promise of a return vessel being sent a few years down the line (A.K.A. 2001).
Any volenteers?
"A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it." - Churchill
... what could possibly go wrong!?
The final transmission from the facility indicated some kind of alien bacterial infection had gotten to the crew. Later entries were limited to screaming and gun shots.
NASA declared the test a spectacular success.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
so here is my thing... if a "day" is 39 minutes longer, at what point is a day not a day? I mean, an earth minute is not a mars minute. I am probably simple but I find the the fundamental things like changes in time standards interesting when talking about living on another planet. Consider making a watch for use on Mars... Even an electronic watch is based on the earth standard time. Just makes me appreciate why I am not a rocket scientist.
"Their [sic] waisting [sic] there [sic] time!"
"Amusing, but you'll never be able to get across the Atlantic using wings. Airships are the future!"
"We should be putting this effort into improving the proven technology of steam locomotives."
"Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of those!"
"I for one welcome welcome our new internal combustion powered, heavier than air overlords!"
*ducks for cover*
My biggest fan, AC, jokes:
Priapism - It will, if they use M$ Winblozes and big dumb company products and services on the mission which takes aways their freedoms.
Digital restrictions and bugs are more like a cock block, but Micro Soft has always promised that.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
You mean "those who wish to stay healthy"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation#Eff ects_of_sleep_deprivation
"Effects of sleep deprivation
Generally, lack of sleep may result in[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]:
* aching muscles;
* blurred vision;
* Cardiovascular disease;
* clinical depression;
* colorblindness;
* daytime drowsiness and naps;
* decreased mental activity and concentration;
* weakened immune system;
* dizziness;
* dark circles under the eyes;
* fainting;
* general confusion;
* hallucinations;
* hand tremors;
* headache;
* hernia;
* hyperactivity;
* hypertension;
* impatience;
* irritability;
* Lucid dreaming (once sleep resumes);
* memory lapses or loss;
* nausea;
* nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement);
* psychosis;
* pallor;
* slowed reaction time;
* slurred and/or nonsensical speech;
* weight loss or gain;
* yawning;
* symptoms similar to:
o Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder;
o Alcoholic Intoxication.
[edit] Diabetes
A 1999 study by the University of Chicago Medical Center showed that sleep deprivation severely affects the human body's ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to early-stage Diabetes Type 2.[10]
[edit] Effects on the brain
Sleep deprivation can adversely affect brain function.[9] A 2000 study, by the UCSD School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego, used functional magnetic resonance imaging technology to monitor activity in the brains of sleep-deprived subjects performing simple verbal learning tasks.[11] The study showed that regions of the brain's prefrontal cortex displayed more activity in sleepier subjects. Depending on the task at hand, the brain would sometimes attempt to compensate for the adverse effects caused by lack of sleep. The temporal lobe, which is a brain region involved in language processing, was activated during verbal learning in rested subjects but not in sleep deprived subjects. The parietal lobe, not activated in rested subjects during the verbal exercise, was more active when the subjects were deprived of sleep. Although memory performance was less efficient with sleep deprivation, greater activity in the parietal region was associated with better memory.
A 2001 Study at Harvard's Medical Institute suggested that sleep deprivation may be linked to more serious diseases, such as heart disease.
Animal studies suggest that sleep deprivation increases stress hormones, which may reduce new cell production in adult brains.[12]
[edit] Effects on growth
This short section requires expansion.
A 1999 study[13] found that sleep deprivation resulted in reduced cortisol secretion the next day, driven by increased subsequent slow-wave sleep. Sleep deprivation was found to enh
I only go to buffets for the unlimited soft serve.
I wonder if they invited that delightful Pauly Shore like they did for the Biosphere Documentary?
Shop as usual. Avoid panic buying.
I wonder which one is the: Bitch, Naive Girl-Next-Door, Surfer Dude, Homosexual, Playa, Joe Schmoe, Drama Queen
My RSS aggregator chopped the title off at "Crew Ends 100 Day Mars Simulation in..." and some twisted part of me chanted "... a ball of fire, a ball of fire" as I clicked the link. Does this speak ill of me, or would it be an expected NASA blunder?
Just a sample of their recommendations for travelers to Mars based on their simulation:
- Seals would be a valuable food source
- Canadian TV is available
- You'll need skis and a boat to get there
- Igloos can be substituted for prefab shelters
- If you need water don't worry, it'll rain/snow occasionally
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
There is a couple currently on a somewhat related venture.. they plan to spend 1000 days at sea in a yacht, completely self sufficient and never touching dry land for the duration.
;)
So far they are on day 121 and have had some 'fun' already - a collision with a freighter for example caused some significant damage which had to be repaired at sea.
The idea obviously is to (kind of) simulate a very long space journey where the crew have only themselves and what they can carry to depend on.
There are a few notable differences though such as the lack of fish to catch in space.
You can follow their journey here..
http://1000days.net/home/
Looks like a great adventure anyway.. wish I could take 1000 days off work!
...would they choose to simulate Mars in someone's attic. Most simulations of this kind are much better performed in the basement of one's parent's house.
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
"But while the Apollo lunar lander weighed approximately 10 metric tons, a human mission to Mars will require three to six times that mass, given the restraints of staying on the planet for a year. Landing a payload that heavy on Mars is currently impossible, using our existing capabilities" Well, I see a simple solution; Build a spacecraft that splits into several separate parts (of approximately "10 metric tons") before entry! Problem solved.
When I first read this, I thought it said "Mars Simulation in Attic". I can certainly picture some of my friends having a 100 day sleepover party in their grandmother's attic while wearing star trek pajamas and plastic communicator badges.
OK, a real techie girl, but still....
Weren't they just playing Doom 3 for 100 days, Arctic weather is pretty useful for when you want to overclock a pc.
Come to think of it, that may explain some of the freakish weather due to global warming.
hax0r_this already said that in an earlier comment, but it's worth repeating: they should make all communications go through a device that will delay them by a few minutes; I expect that it should also vary from 5 to 20 minutes to simulate Mars and Earth being in various parts of their orbits. This should add a lot to the emotional feeling of being far away from the rest of humanity.
Yesterday was the time to do it right. Are we having a REVOLUTION yet?
This sounds more like the Big Brother TV series but set in the Arctic. Get the gormless inmates/guests to wear fancy dress and do space-like "tasks".
So what did this exercise tell them then? Can we survive on Mars without resorting to canabilism? That's the million dollar question I want answering!