HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part II: Missions to Mars

Horneck, G.; Facius, R.; Reichert, M.; Rettberg, Petra; Seboldt, W.; Manzey, Dieter; Comet, B.; Maillet, A.; Preiss, Helmut; Schauer, L.; Dussap, Claude-Gilles; Poughon, Laurent; Belyavin, A.; Reitz, Günther; Baumstark‐Khan, Christa; Gerzer, R.

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.06.072

Cited by 68 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Health concerns associated with permanently crewed outposts on the Moon or a Mars exploration mission may be even greater given the additional unknown variables associated with these environments. Finally, limitations in diagnostic and treatment technologies further increase the consequences of compromised immunity, and as missions extend in distance from Earth, crew return in the event of emergency is no longer a feasible option (113,199).…”

Section: Applied Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space Microbiology

Horneck

Klaus

Mancinelli

2010

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

575

489

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SUMMARY The responses of microorganisms (viruses, bacterial cells, bacterial and fungal spores, and lichens) to selected factors of space (microgravity, galactic cosmic radiation, solar UV radiation, and space vacuum) were determined in space and laboratory simulation experiments. In general, microorganisms tend to thrive in the space flight environment in terms of enhanced growth parameters and a demonstrated ability to proliferate in the presence of normally inhibitory levels of antibiotics. The mechanisms responsible for the observed biological responses, however, are not yet fully understood. A hypothesized interaction of microgravity with radiation-induced DNA repair processes was experimentally refuted. The survival of microorganisms in outer space was investigated to tackle questions on the upper boundary of the biosphere and on the likelihood of interplanetary transport of microorganisms. It was found that extraterrestrial solar UV radiation was the most deleterious factor of space. Among all organisms tested, only lichens (Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans) maintained full viability after 2 weeks in outer space, whereas all other test systems were inactivated by orders of magnitude. Using optical filters and spores of Bacillus subtilis as a biological UV dosimeter, it was found that the current ozone layer reduces the biological effectiveness of solar UV by 3 orders of magnitude. If shielded against solar UV, spores of B. subtilis were capable of surviving in space for up to 6 years, especially if embedded in clay or meteorite powder (artificial meteorites). The data support the likelihood of interplanetary transfer of microorganisms within meteorites, the so-called lithopanspermia hypothesis.

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Section: Applied Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space Microbiology

Horneck

Klaus

Mancinelli

2010

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

575

489

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“…But whoever is the first to land, the same issue will have to be faced: if we are to stay on Mars in the long term to obtain valuable scientific data, we need to learn to be independent of Earth. However, while space travel technologies have made great steps forward in the last half century, current life-support technologies are not sufficiently developed for sustaining Mars manned exploratory missions (Horneck et al 2006). Extensive efforts in this area should start now, so that life support does not become the limiting factor.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sending humans to Mars within a few decades is now a realistic goal (e.g., Baker & Zubrin 1990;Horneck et al 2006;Drake 2009;Zubrin & Wagner 2011). However, even though leaving a footprint and planting a flag could be achieved with not much more than the current state-of-the-art of engineering, a definite pay-back is still in doubt.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable life support on Mars – the potential roles of cyanobacteria

Verseux

Baqué

Lehto

et al. 2015

International Journal of Astrobiology

144

136

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Even though technological advances could allow humans to reach Mars in the coming decades, launch costs prohibit the establishment of permanent manned outposts for which most consumables would be sent from Earth. This issue can be addressed by in situ resource utilization: producing part or all of these consumables on Mars, from local resources. Biological components are needed, among other reasons because various resources could be efficiently produced only by the use of biological systems. But most plants and microorganisms are unable to exploit Martian resources, and sending substrates from Earth to support their metabolism would strongly limit the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of their cultivation. However, resources needed to grow specific cyanobacteria are available on Mars due to their photosynthetic abilities, nitrogen-fixing activities and lithotrophic lifestyles. They could be used directly for various applications, including the production of food, fuel and oxygen, but also indirectly: products from their culture could support the growth of other organisms, opening the way to a wide range of life-support biological processes based on Martian resources. Here we give insights into how and why cyanobacteria could play a role in the development of self-sustainable manned outposts on Mars.

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“…Psychological issues are becoming more and more relevant as space mission durations increase. A round trip to Mars is in the order of 2-3 years (Horneck et al 2003). Besides receiving large doses of radiation on a round trip to the red planet, social behavior and group dynamics within a limited crew of 6-8 persons is a major concern for such long missions (Palinkas 2001).…”

Section: Earth Bound Large Radius Centrifuge For Space Explorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Human Centrifuge

Loon

2008

Microgravity Sci. Technol

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Life on Earth has developed at unit gravity, 9.81 m/s 2 , which was a major factor especially when vertebrates emerged from water onto land in the late Devonian, some 375 million years ago. But how would nature have evolved on a larger planet? We are able to address this question simply in experiments using centrifuges. Based on these studies we have gained valuable insights in the physiological process in plants and animals. They adapt to a new steady state suitable for the high-g environments applied. Information on mammalian adaptations to hyper-g is interesting or may be even vital for human space exploration programs. It has been shown in long duration animal hypergravity studies, ranging from snails, rats to primates, that various structures like muscles, bones, neuro-vestibular, or the cardio-vascular system are affected. However, humans have never been exposed to a hyper-g environment for long durations. Centrifuge studies involving humans are mostly in the order of hours. The current work on human centrifuges are all focused on short arm systems to apply short periods of artificial gravity in support of long duration space missions in ISS or to Mars. In this paper we will address the possible usefulness of a large human centrifuge on Earth. In such a centrifuge a group of humans can be exposed to hypergravity for, in principle, an unlimited period of time like living on a larger planet. The input from a survey under scientists

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HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part II: Missions to Mars

Cited by 68 publications

References 6 publications

Space Microbiology

Space Microbiology

Sustainable life support on Mars – the potential roles of cyanobacteria

The Human Centrifuge

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