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The BBC reports that the year-long simulation of near isolation in preparation for a trip to Mars, has ended successfully.
A team of six people have completed a Mars simulation in Hawaii, where they lived in near isolation for a year.
Since 29 August 2015, the group lived in close quarters in a dome, without fresh air, fresh food or privacy.
[...] The Nasa-funded study run by the University of Hawaii is the longest of its kind since a Russian mission that lasted 520 days.
Having survived their year in isolation, the crew members said they were confident a mission to Mars could succeed.
"I can give you my personal impression which is that a mission to Mars in the close future is realistic," Cyprien Verseux, a crew member from France, told journalists. "I think the technological and psychological obstacles can be overcome."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Tuesday August 30 2016, @11:39PM
> in close quarters in a dome, without fresh air, fresh food or privacy
But there was a door.
You cannot truly simulate a mission to Mars if there is an available quick escape.
Put them at the bottom of a mine shaft, collapse it and tell them it should take 18 months to get back to them. Everything short of "you're trapped, period" avoids the biggest psych issue.
(Score: 3, Touché) by JNCF on Wednesday August 31 2016, @12:01AM
You cannot truly simulate a mission to Mars if there is an available quick escape.
[...]
Everything short of "you're trapped, period" avoids the biggest psych issue.
There's always a quick escape available.
*takes off helmet*
"I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn't know I could commit suicide at any time." -Hunter S. Thompson
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 31 2016, @12:10AM
Only suicide? What about everyone else, you selfish twit? Murder-suicide is the solution to all problems.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 31 2016, @02:34PM
I'll link to my post on this too then: https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=14433&cid=372954#commentwrap [soylentnews.org]
NASA seems to have stopped doing real innovation. Perhaps too many geniuses have left and all the Nazi scientists are gone.
Now it seems to be mainly a bunch of people trying to keep the gravy train going.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday August 31 2016, @05:01PM
Yes-ish. It still provided a decent simulation of factors like how much 6 people stuck in close quarters for an extended period get on each others' nerves, which is something they are specifically worried about (for good reason: imagine if a crew member decided to get homicidal).
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday August 31 2016, @05:22PM
> imagine if a crew member decided to get homicidal
My point exactly. If someone goes postal, either directly or through sabotage, the door opens and you get help, instead of being on your own to fix the person and whatever damage they caused.
That makes it less likely that someone will go postal, and everyone knows it.
(Score: 2) by Capt. Obvious on Wednesday August 31 2016, @07:58PM
That sounds like something you would work up to. Say after a year+ of living in a technically identical bubble on the surface.