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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.'"
The politicians will be on the second ship, along with the telephone sanitizers, hairdressers, advertising account executives, and other 'essential' personel.
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?
"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!"