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The scientists emerged from the second-longest ever such experiment. Youtuibe/AssociatedPress
fresh air
Six people just completed a year in a Hawaii dome all in the name of science
It’s about seeing how astronauts would survive during long-term space travel.
9.39am, 29 Aug 2016
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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.
Yesterday, 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.
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“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,” she said.
Figuring out how people are going to actually work on different kinds of missions, and sort of the human factors element of space travel, colonisation, whatever it is you are actually looking at.
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.
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I’m pretty sure Matt Damon just did a documentary about a guy who was on Mars for a year. Created his own water & grew his own spuds. He sciences the f¥CK outta that sh|t.
I’m sure that before the end of the 21 st century a baby is going to be born on Mars or the moon.that’ll really be a big day for the human race when theres a child born who doesn’ t call earth their homeplanet
ah I don’t know about that ou812 theyd be a celebrity sure and all over the media so they’d be in the public eye a fair bit but look at Neil Armstrong I don’t think they did any experiments on him that much
The tent will probably end up on one of the Facebook selling pages later on with the caption “only used once in perfect nick,ideal for electric picnic”
Not sure of the benifits of this study as occupants new they can “get home” after a specific period. If we do send people to mars the likelihood is that it is a one way trip. If it is a six person mission, finding six scientists to become good friends and not end up hating each other will be the key. Hope it can be done by the end of the next decade.
Simon, “the benefits of this study”? You’ve got to take baby steps at the start. These people are among the pioneers of future space travel and colonisation. They are not just going to launch a bunch of people to Mars without possibly thousands of little experiments like this to test the validity of such a journey.
Mdmak33, “to improve life here”? If we decided to forget space travel and continue to over populate this planet, continue to pollute it, continue to use up all its natural resources etc, then the future of mankind is zero. Imagine if mankind never left Africa.
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