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NASA Eyes Crew Deep Sleep Option For Mars Mission

Posted by Soulskill on from the literally-dreaming-big dept.

astroengine writes: A NASA-backed study explores an innovative way to dramatically cut the cost of a human expedition to Mars — put the crew in stasis. The deep sleep, called torpor, would reduce astronauts' metabolic functions with existing medical procedures. Torpor also can occur naturally in cases of hypothermia. "Therapeutic torpor has been around in theory since the 1980s and really since 2003 has been a staple for critical care trauma patients in hospitals," aerospace engineer Mark Schaffer, with SpaceWorks Enterprises in Atlanta, said at the International Astronomical Congress in Toronto this week. "Protocols exist in most major medical centers for inducing therapeutic hypothermia on patients to essentially keep them alive until they can get the kind of treatment that they need." Coupled with intravenous feeding, a crew could be put in hibernation for the transit time to Mars, which under the best-case scenario would take 180 days one-way.

3 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. Even better idea... by itzly · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Just leave the people at home, and send a robot to do the work.

  2. Re:What will happen to their physical condition by TWX · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe it's time to actually design a ship with a centrifuge in it, so that a lot of the effects of microgravity are mitigated...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  3. Longterm use - tried out on humans ? by burni2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    All information points to Torpor as a short term treatment option - indeed there are animals but those are adapted to that condition, humans are not.

    The first set of problems that comes to my mind are kidney stones -> Solution catheter/bladder flushning -> next problem infections in the urinary tract due to catheters. Due to the urinary tract not being "flushed" regularly keeping the germs in the lower urinary system. This problem is also much more challenging for women.

    Also the subjection of different germ kinds to the lower temperature needs to be taken into account.

    Different germ populations have different temperature ranges were they show different reproduction rates. If the cold condition does not favour the reproduction rate that the lactic acid producing germs over the germs from No.2
    this can lead to -> Vaginal flora will be less acidic = starting point for "unwanted/dangerous" germs from No.2

    Don't think that when your body is in this "pseudo stasis"
    germs are too, they aren't.