FEATURE RECREATING SPACE ON EARTHLIFE ON MARS
HI-SEAS, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII, USA
A spacesuit isn’t the first outfit that springs
to mind for anyone visiting Hawaii. That’s
unless you’re spending eight months in the HI-
SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and
Simulation) habitat on Mauna Loa volcano.
HI-SEAS allows researchers to study how
people cope with the confinement, isolation and
psychological pressures of long-duration space
missions, such as one to Mars. To add to the
realism, there’s a 20-minute communications
delay with mission control, and anyone who steps
out into Mauna Loa’s Mars-like environment –
such as Dr Martha Lenio (seen collecting rock
samples on the previous page) – has to suit up.
Realism has given way to practicality
on occasion, though, such as when budget
constraints meant that hazmat suits replaced
spacesuits, and shipping containers served as
‘robotic resupply ships’ (below). Even so, lessons
learnt during these missions, which can last
for up to a year, are no less valid for aspiring
astronauts. “It taught me the importance of having
a sense of humour, strong communication skills
and a flexible personality,” says Lenio.
IN DEEP WATER
NEEMO, KEY LARGO, FLORIDA, USAReproducing the reduced-gravity environment
and time pressure of walking on the Moon or
another planet can be a struggle. Unless that is,
you go underwater, like the ‘aquanauts’ of the
NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission
Operations) programme. Each NEEMO mission
sees up to six prospective astronauts descend 19
metres to the Aquarius base – a cramped 37m^2
habitat on the seabed 5.6 kilometres (3.5 miles)
off the coast of Florida – to experience living and
working in an alien space.
Pictured here is the NEEMO 22 mission,
which took place during June 2017. The team is
testing out the Modular Equipment Transporter
System (METS), a four-wheeled cart containing
interchangeable pods of tools and instruments
to help astronauts carry kit over rugged terrain.
Every second counts when you’re exploring
another planet. As such, the more equipment you
can bring to a sampling site, the more you can
maximise your time there.
As well as putting METS through its paces, the
10-day expedition also conducted in situ analysis
of coral and tested out evacuation procedures.HI-SEAS/UNIVERISTY OF HAWAII, NASA ANALOGS