LEFT: NASA astronaut
Cady Coleman tests
out the ISS’s Cycle
Ergometer.
RIGHT: Mice have
been taken onto
the ISS to study
the effects of
microgravity on
the body.
HOW WE’LL STAY SANE
Good
communications
If we go to Mars, we’ll
face a satellite
communications
delay with Earth of up
to 22 minutes.
Alongside the
physical challenges,
this presents a
mental one. In the
Mars-500 mission – a
17-month simulated
Mars mission based in
Moscow – the crew
had five times as
many conflicts with
Mission Control as
they did among
themselves. If we’re
going to leave Earth,
we’ll need to get used
to a laggy connection
with those still back
at home.NASA X3, GETTY, ESAArtificial light
Leaving planet Earth,
and losing the
24-hour day/night
cycle, could play
havoc with our body
clocks. In Mars-500,
four out of six crew
members suffered
sleep disorders, with
one becoming
chronically sleep-
deprived, and another
shifting their sleep
schedule out of sync
with everyone else.
On a spaceship, this
could be overcome
with artificial light
that mimics natural
daylight on Earth. On
an alien planet, it
could prove to be a
tougher problem.Great
entertainment
“Are we nearly there
yet?” is going to be a
common question on
a months-long
journey through
space. We know
greenery on Earth
helps reduce stress,
so growing food or
vegetation on-board
could be one leisure
activity with added
benefits. Another
option is virtual
reality. At HI-SEAS, a
NASA-run simulated
space mission
housed on a volcano
in Hawaii, crew
members could
escape to their own
bespoke VR world
through a headset.A support network
Astronauts invariably
say that seeing Earth
from space is a
profound experience.
But what happens
when you can no
longer see Earth at
all? It’s thought that
the ‘Earth-out-of-view
phenomenon’ could
lead to anxiety,
intense homesickness
and depression,
especially if family
and friends have been
left behind. Space
pioneers will need a
strong social and
psychological support
network on their new
home, to help those
who are feeling the
effects of leaving
Earth.