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Crew Ends 100 Day Mars Simulation in Arctic

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the wtb-beer-burger-and-companionship dept.

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.'"

10 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Averting disaster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hilariously, real-life is imitating Kim Stanley Robinson's Hugo and Nebula winning Red/Green/Blue Mars Series.

    I hope the real astronauts don't have an equivalent of Maya along with them...

    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_trilogy)

  2. Its not a simulation by Viol8 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Its not a simulation by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 3, Interesting
      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.

      The true test would be a closed system here on Earth, with only energy input (from the sun or from a nuclear reactor). See if it can function for two years or whatever the required duration of a mission to Mars is without running out of air, water, or nutrient. It doesn't have to be absolutely sealed like Biosphere 2 -- it could exhaust, just not take in, and it doesn't have to be in the same state at the beginning as the end; resources can be depleted. But THAT's the kind of experiment that we should be running.

      -b.

    2. Re:Its not a simulation by RockyPersaud · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The value of the experiment is the fact that these seven scientists and engineers DID NOT just sit in a chamber for 100+ days. They conducted real exploration of Devon Island and the Haughton impact crater, under constraints similar to what a crew would have to do on Mars. The gravity is wrong. But they weren't doing physiology experiment on the effect of gravity. The solar radiation is wrong. But they weren't doing solar radiation experiments. The atmospheric pressure is wrong. But they weren't doing atmospheric experiments. The soil chemistry is all wrong. But they weren't doing soil chemistry experiments. They were doing astrobiological, geological, operational, and psychological experiments, as this page lists 22 such experiments. http://www.fmars2007.org/arctic/science-projects.a sp So what has your indignation proved other than they can sit on your ass in front your computer and run mouth off on topics you know nothing about? Nothing.

  3. And now that I've read TFA... by cp.tar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Melissa adds that the extra 39 minutes does make a difference, "[you] feel like [you're] getting more work done."

    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:

    "We've all become acutely aware of the importance of water conservation, minimizing our garbage output, and generally behaving in a way to minimize our environmental impact."

    Why is this scary? Well, consider this:

    The crew bakes bread, makes a batch of cheese or yogurt, waters the "crops" (spouts and lettuce they are growing), re-fuels the generator, washes a bit of laundry by hand and prepares home cooked meals to add some spice to the day and the meals.

    They're training Fremen!

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Re:OK... by lottameez · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hey, we've already been there.

    --
    Yeah? Well I think you're overrated too.
  5. It was a simulation by WindBourne · · Score: 2, Interesting
    A simultation is doing something as close as possible. NASA went through very similar things about going to the moon, and IIRC, it was done in Texas. Even now, every mission to the ISS, is done in water to simulate low gravity. However, if they really WANTED to simulate, they would change a few parameters.
    1. It should last 1-3 years. No way will the first mission to mars be 100 days. It will be several years.
    2. They should be working with biosphere 2 folks to do it again, as a closed experiment. For several years, the system WILL be closed and almost certainly self-reliant.
    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  6. Why 37 days? by RealProgrammer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    $ expr \( 37 \* 39 \) / 60
    24
    That's how long it took to lose a day. So when do they get that day back?

    Ha.
    --
    sigs, as if you care.
  7. One way mars mission? by eniac42 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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
  8. 1000 days - Mars Ocean Odyssey by slashmojo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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!