‘Mars’ mission team say web loss tougher than personality clashes
LOSING INTERNET access was a bigger problem than personality clashes for six “astronauts” confined for eight months on a remote simulated Mars base, a British member of the team has said.
Not a single personal insult was uttered by any member of the crew during the whole of the “mission” that ended on September 17, claimed astrobiologist Sam Payler, 28, a Phd student at the University of Edinburgh.
Being without the internet created more difficulty than social conflict, since it meant problems took days instead of minutes to solve.
Speaking from Hawaii, where the four men and two women had lived in a 1,200 square foot dome situated on a barren active volcano, Mr Payler said: “I was very lucky to have a great crew. No isolated group can be immune to any arguments, but everyone did an amazing job of working through any issues we had.
“We spent a lot of time talking about how to avoid conflict. Incredibly, not once did anyone use a personal insult,” he said.
The Hi-Seas (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) mission was the fifth in a series of similar experiments funded by the American space agency Nasa.
The aim was to identify and overcome psychological and social problems that might emerge on long-haul space missions. During their time together on an 8,200ft high rocky plain below the summit of Mauno Loa, the crew members lived and worked as if they were on Mars, carrying out maintenance, conducting scientific studies and exercising.
They relied on “shelf-stable” food and were denied all fresh fruit, meat or vegetables. Space suits had to be worn on excursions outside the dome, which were carried out in teams.
Browsing the internet was impossible because of a 20 minute communication delay intended to mimic the time it takes for radio signals to travel between Earth and Mars. Asked if he would consider a Mars trip, Mr Payler said it would be a honour.