Russian Mock Mars Mission

sdriver writes "CNN reports that Russia is attempting a 500-day mock Mars mission. The article goes on to say, "six volunteers will depend on a preset limit of supplies, including about 5 tons of food and oxygen and 3 tons of water." Also, "Experiment participation is not solely reserved for Russian volunteers, institute officials added."

Human survival

[usefool]

Will this be a true test of human survial though?

Since volunteers is allowed to quit the experiment if they develop a severe ailment or psychological stress, most likely they won't try hard enough to survive the journey.

However in real life-and-death situation, people tend to do amazing things just to stay alive.

Male only

[usefool]

Polyakov told Interfax reporters that the 500 Days experiment will not include female volunteers.

Geezz I wonder why. And they'll probably get a similar result just by looking into any male-only student flat :)

Re:Human survival

[phreakmonkey]

Since volunteers is allowed to quit the experiment if they develop a severe ailment or psychological stress, most likely they won't try hard enough to survive the journey.

I agree. Furthermore- the knowledge that you are "safe" if anything goes wrong will grossly affect your behavior. For instance, walk on a three inch wide beam that's resting on the ground. Most people can do it without even flinching. Now do the same thing suspended 20 feet above concrete.

Since a lot of this experiement is to see how well the people cope with being in this environment with each other, I question some of the validity. I'm sure there is data that can be gathered, but I would imagine that most of that isn't long-term stuff. I'm betting that the further into the 500 day mission we get the less accurate the reflection of human behavior in that environment is going to be.

Of course, if the whole idea is just to see how well the food, water, O2, &etc rationing works, then I stand corrected- but it seems that an extrapolation model based on a, oh, 150 day mission would be a little more reasonable. {shrug}

-PM

Re:Human survival

[KitFox]

That is very accurate. The end results won't be accurate. When you KNOW that you have an out, your psyche isn't affected nearly the same.

It can also happen the opposite of what you indicate. You say that they may not try hard enough to survive, and thus will succumb to the stress more easily. It may also REDUCE the stress, knowing that if you ever decide that you want out, you can get out, so you take things more with a grain of salt. No panic of knowing that if something goes wrong, you're utterly doomed.

The downside is that doing a true test would involve putting peoples' lives in danger. Or at the VERY least, having a single blind test, in which the people going into it are absolutely convinced that reality says that if something goes wrong, nobody can save them. (You can still go in and save them, but they must have NO way of knowing that you can or will.)

Could it be?

[MacFury]

Gee, I know what would be clouding my thoughts every minute if I were stuck in a confined space for prolonged periods of time without any women around...

I don't think women are as...driven...

And no jokes about me not getting any. I have a gf :-)

Re:Human survival

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree. Furthermore- the knowledge that you are "safe" if anything goes wrong will grossly affect your behavior. For instance, walk on a three inch wide beam that's resting on the ground. Most people can do it without even flinching. Now do the same thing suspended 20 feet above concrete.

I'm tired of hearing this argument. Try comparing one foot off the ground with twenty feet off the ground.

Re:Methods for doing this; Russia good as any plac

[magefile]

I think this will have a better chance of success than Biodome. First, because of funding, second because we're not worried about total internalization/sealed-in-ness, just for extended periods (500 days for now, maybe longer later) - so we're not worried about, say, jettisoning waste, or not stocking a food supply of a certain type because, "it'll run out after 2 years anyway".

Gives purpose, maybe pride

[ralphcringely]

"living your life is like riding a bicycle. its easier to keep your balance if you're going somewhere". I forget who said that. Voltaire? Erving Goffman? Fritz Perls? Anyway, it's true for countries too. I applaud Senor Putin. Set a goal. Get everyone to push for it.

Is'nt that what Senor Kennedy did for us with the moon? I mean, why did we go there except to have a goal?

this is somewhat close...

[zogger]

...to what long duration voyage submariners go through. 500 days is a long time though, I don't think any totally submerged and all sealed up submarine voyage has lasted that long, I think something like 6 weeks is more normal.(could be wrong on that, any knowledgeable folks please correct me) I am sure there are tons of scientific studies already about the physiological and psychological impacts of long term close quarters living, where you can't just "get out" and all your existence is self contained, more or less. The subs though can make their own fresh water and O2, so that makes it easier in many ways. Also no weightlessness to contend with. But....similar.

Hmm, sorta like jail, too, in a way.

Re:FAT ASTRONAUTS!!

[Minna Kirai]

is to have fat astronauts.

Better, really, to have small astronauts. No one more than 4 feet tall. They'll need less food to stay alive, a smaller habitat, and less air to heat.

Could pick em short + fat, I guess...

last time round...

[pvanheus]

From the CNN article: "Polyakov told Interfax reporters that the 500 Days experiment will not include female volunteers."

I wonder if this is related to what happened last time they tried something like this. From space.com [space.com]:

"Canadian physician, Dr. Judith Lapierre, tells a different tale. She was in the chamber for 110 days. "Somebody pulled me by my arm and tried to kiss me. Of course, we are not talking about [rape], but for me it was a high level of sexual harassment and if women don't stand up, the next thing that happens is usually that. I pushed the guy, but then I was told that in Russia I just should just give him a slap in the face. However, it is not my way of handling such things.""

If this (sexual harassment problems) is their reasoning behind the decision to exclude women, I think its a pretty poor reason. Why not rather exclude men?

Re:FAT ASTRONAUTS!!

[fucksl4shd0t]

The only problem with this plan really, is that fat astronauts would have all sorts of health problems that would prevent them from being able to even set foot in the launching craft. You see, besides the fact that the food is such a small amount of the mass required (water + oxygen are the big ones, and being fat increases your dependency on these), you take say someone who's 75 pounds overweight, right? They launch under what, 5Gs or so? Say they're ideal weight is 150, so they weigh 225. During launch they'll weigh 1125 pounds until they hit orbit, at which time they'll be in free fall.

Do you know any fat guy whose heart can take that sort of change? Furthermore, do you know of any fat guy who, after going through the training program so that they can take the normal amount of weight during launch, will still be fat?

Or is this some sort of CowboyNeal joke? You know, send HIM to mars so we don't have to deal with his silly polls anymore?

BigBrother mocking the Mars Mission

[RedLaggedTeut]

Think about it - all these Big Brother shows where they lock up people for a year in a container really do simulate the social and psychological aspects of a mars mission.