Scientists exit Hawaii dome after yearlong Mars simulation 

 

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Six scientists have completed a yearlong Mars simulation in Hawaii, where they lived in a dome in near isolation.

 

For the past year, the group in the dome on a Mauna Loa mountain could go outside only while wearing spacesuits.

 

On Sunday, the simulation ended, and the scientists emerged.

 

Cyprien Verseux, a crew member from France, said the simulation shows a mission to Mars can succeed.

 

"I can give you my personal impression which is that a mission to Mars in the close future is realistic. I think the technological and psychological obstacles can be overcome," Verseux said.

 

Christiane Heinicke, a crew member from Germany, said the scientists were able to find their own water in a dry climate.

 

"Showing that it works, you can actually get water from the ground that is seemingly dry. It would work on Mars and the implication is that you would be able to get water on Mars from this little greenhouse construct," she said.

 

Tristan Bassingthwaighte, a doctor of architecture candidate at University of Hawaii, served as the crew's architect.

 

"The UH research going on up here is just super vital when it comes to picking crews, figuring out how people are going to actually work on different kinds of missions, and sort of the human factors element of space travel, colonization, whatever it is you are actually looking at," Bassingthwaighte said.

 

Kim Binsted, principal investigator for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), said the researchers are looking forward to getting in the ocean and eating fresh produce and other foods that weren't available in the dome.

 

"HI-SEAS is an example of international collaborative research hosted and run by the University of Hawai'i. So it's really exciting to be able to welcome the crew back to earth and back to Hawai'i after a year on Mars," Binsted said.

 

NASA funded the study run through the University of Hawaii. Binsted said the simulation was the second-longest of its kind after a mission that lasted 520 days in Russia.

 

Scientists in the Hawaii simulation managed limited resources while conducting research and working to avoid personal conflicts.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-08-29

I commend what those folks did.  Surviving in space and/or on another planet will entail psychological strength as much as any other skills.  In particular, non-attachment would be needed.  It sounds Buddhist (and it is, in regard to Buddha's original teachings/example), but very few people, including Thai Buddhists, would qualify as genuinely non-attached - to the degree needed for extended stays within a small finite space with a few other folks.  

Though a good simulation, there are some major components missing. For instance all the participants knew they were on earth and if necessary could be rescued. Very difficult to simulate the psychological stress of being so far from earth.And they were not being bombarded by the cosmic radiation they would be on Mars.

Non the less a good step forward.  

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Scientists exit Hawaii dome after yearlong Mars simulation 

Now they're off to Waikiki

One more step for mankind on the road to space exploration and survivability.