Antarctica’s assault can be a warning to future travelers to Mars

The tense situation can predict members of an isolated base in Antarctica conflict between astronauts on a long journey to Mars.

South African research base in Antarctica, Sanae 4It is located in a distant location in the east of Antarctica. It hosts a team of nine members consisting of a doctor, scientists and engineers who spend 10 months in isolation during the harsh southern winter.

It is saidA quarrel between a member and the leader resulted in an alleged physical attack and threats of death and sexual harassment. The names were not released. According to a statement issued by South African government officialsThe team is briefly, and the accused person has written an official apology. The statement says that the issue considers its solution and will not be necessary to evacuate the team.

This type of conflict between people who live in severe isolation and confined lines is a source of concern for a much longer humanitarian task planner to Mars. Traveling to Red Planet, using any currently available technology, will take about seven months in one direction. Once the crew arrives, they will have to stay there alone for another year, waiting for the Earth to wander in its orbit so that it is on the same side of the sun like Mars for the return trip.

Then it will take six or seven other months to leave home. This is a back and forth journey from 750 to 1000 days, depending on the amount of fuel you want to burn.

During this entire flight, the crew will be completely alone, and is limited to spacecraft in space between planets, and to habitats on the surface of Mars. If there is an emergency, the rescue task is, with optimism, several months away. The isolation is exacerbated by the delay in the connection. It may take up to 20 minutes to sign the radio to cover the distance between Mars and the Earth.

No one has spent space for a long time. It is called an experience in Russia Mars 500 Simulating such a task in a closed home on the ground. This exercise studied the psychological factors of isolation, and although there are no physical quarrels, if the state of emergency arises, all they had to do is open the door and exit. The Merikon explorers will not have this option.

A large amount of research between the international space station sets (ISS) has focused on the material effects of the long -term space, such as the loss of calcium in the bones, muscle atrophy and vision problems. Many of these problems can be compensated by daily exercise while they are in space.

NASA has also explored questions about mental health on the international space station, but not for the lengths of the extreme time that the mission of Mars will take.

We may get more insight with an unintended experience. American astronaut Sony Williams and Boot Wilmor He returned to Earth this week After they were cut off at the space station for 286 days. Their return was delayed after the new Boeing Starlener’s new spacecraft was leaked when they were launched last June.

However, each of the astronauts had flew in space several times before and carrying long -term trips. While waiting in space, they participated in the operations of the stations, including space, to keep a busy. It will definitely be interesting to extract information to assess their mental well -being during their unexpected absence from Earth.

It will be difficult to develop devices to reach Mars and survive in the hostile environment. Just think about the adversity that Spacex faces during the troubled development of the upper stage of the “Sitra” championship, a car that can enable the trip to Mars. Its first two flights resulted in the amazing shower of the missile parts over the Gulf of Mexico.

But traveling between planets will also require wide -scale psychological training and examination to ensure the crew trading before moving on a missile for a multi -year trip.