A crew of six aspiring astronauts have finished practice living and working in a solar-powered space station replica in a severe and isolated setting like Mars simulated by the rocky, barren slopes of Mauna Loa, dormant volcano in Hawaii.
According to Mirror, the scientists were part of the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), an experimental exercise which simulates living conditions in the red planet.
As part of the training research, crew members wore spacesuits especially during mock Mars explorations in the volcano. Their physical and psychological health were continually observed by experts to determine possible problems that might evolve on a real Mars mission.
In a report from Washington Post, the team was the second of the three missions studies of NASA designed to determine human performance and team cohesion during the 100 million-mile prolonged trip to Mars. Martha Lenio heads the crew composed of three men and three women living together in what is suppose to be a space station on Mars.
The simulated living included having no communication whatsoever to the outside world. Having a 20-minute delay of message from the Earth base camp, which mock up the approximated travel time of communication signals between Earth and Mars.
The team slept in "glorified closets" as bedrooms. They eat freeze-dried food in plastic packets. And their toilets don't flush.
"It was a bit overwhelming at first. We didn't really know where to look or what to say," Lenio explained. "Having all these people around is a bit difficult."
In spite of the difficulties however, some crew members expressed their enjoyment and satisfaction with the mission study. Jocelyn Dunn, a student from Purdue University, declares that she will miss the closeness with her fellow scientists. She said, "We have given each other loyalty and commitment, through the good and the bad, we belong to the crew. We give it our best and forget the rest."
