A
crew of six volunteer scientists spent an entire year isolated in a
tent on small section of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano to simulate what
life would be like on Mars. They were part of the Hawaii Space
Exploration and Analog and Simulation project, called HI-SEAS for short.
The 365-day simulation ended Sunday, and the crew was allowed to come
outside without a space suit for the first time in a year. Although they
have been in contact with "earth" by internet, any messages were
delayed by 20 minutes to simulate such communication on Mars. The
experiment is about how humans would react under isolation from the
outside world, and how they got along with crewmates in cramped
conditions. Sheyna Gifford and Tristan Bassingthwaighte talked about
their experiences.
Counting down to their so-called
“re-entry,” the crew had their sights set on everyday things we
Earthlings take for granted ― hugging loved ones, feasting on a burger,
swimming in the ocean and running on grass.
In addition to
spending time with family and getting outside, Bassingthwaighte’s said
he’s looking forward to living in a place with a window.
“I mean
holy crap! A whole window that belongs just to me?” he wrote. “I don’t
even know what to do with that, we’ve all been sharing a window the size
of a medium pizza for the last year.”
In her time away, Gifford
said she’s come to realize that the journey to Mars will likely prove
more challenging in ways we don’t expect than in ways we do. The good
news, she said, is “human beings are pretty much capable of anything.”
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