...because they are Russian!
Posted on 10/28/2015 3:07:38 PM PDT by LibWhacker
MOSCOW (AFP) - Six Russian women on Wednesday clambered into a mock spaceship to begin a unique experiment testing how an all-female crew would interact on a trip to the Moon and back.
For eight days, the female volunteers will live inside a wood-panelled suite of rooms at Moscow's Institute of Biomedical Problems, renowned for its wacky research into the psychological and physical effects of space travel.
The institute in 2010 locked six male international volunteers in an isolation experiment lasting 520 days, to simulate a flight to Mars and back.
"Such a crew is taking part for the first time in a simulation experiment. It's interesting for us to see what is special about the way a female crew communicates," said Sergei Ponomaryov, the experiment's supervisor.
"It will be particularly interesting in terms of psychology," said the institute's director Igor Ushakov.
"I'd like to wish you a lack of conflicts, even though they say that in one kitchen, two housewives find it hard to live together," he added.
The volunteers include scientific researchers, a doctor and a psychologist.
The test period simulates a flight to the Moon and back, with the women carrying out 10 experiments covering psychology and human biology.
Russia sent the first woman into space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963 but has lagged behind since. Last year it sent its fourth female cosmonaut into space, Yelena Serova.
Serova complained of a flurry of media interest in how she would wash her hair aboard the International Space Station, pointing out that male cosmonauts did not face the same line of questioning.
Ponomaryov called the latest experiment an effort to make up for lost time.
"There's never been an all-female crew on the ISS. We consider the future of space belongs equally to men and women and unfortunately we need to catch up a bit after a period when unfortunately there haven't been too many women in space."
- 'Beautiful without makeup' -
Despite the mission being presented as a giant step for gender equality, the women -- who wore red jumpsuits -- found themselves fielding questions at a press conference about how they would cope without men or makeup for eight days.
"We are very beautiful without makeup," parried participant Darya Komissarova.
Her colleague Anna Kussmaul was more direct: "We are doing work. When you're doing your work, you don't think about men and women."
Like their counterparts on the International Space Station the women will have no shower, washing with wet wipes instead.
They plan to spend their 1 1/2 hours per day of free time watching films, reading and playing board games.
Team leader Yelena Luchnitskaya said she expected the women to deal with any conflict.
"I'm sure we all have the education, personal qualities and the upbringing, at the end of the day," she said.
"So far I can't imagine what would rattle us."
POPCORN PING
“So far I can’t imagine what would rattle us.”
That one jinxed it.
Like
Pretty sexist questions of the Cosmonautettes.
...because they are Russian!
Watching folks eat water bubbles on the ISS for the 1000th time isn't cutting it.
Pray for synchronization.
nothing more entertaining than an intergalactic cat fight-
Well, there is a side of me that might enjoy it.
And be very guilty afterward.
Lol... Hope they film it and peddle it to the producers of the “Housewives” series. Be even better if halfway through the mission a handsome male stowaway emerged.
Not being sexist here... I’m sure it’d be just as bloody if a Victoria Secrets model had emerged halfway through the all-male study.
I think that could be the worst thing that could happen if they all happened to hit on the week of the experiment.
You could cut the progesterone with a knife. (hopefully there will not be any on board, knives that is)
Darn! They’re talking about the moon in the sky. I was hoping some Russian babes(I’m thinking Anna Kournikova)would be mooning me.
I find it had to believe that these women can all get a long for any period of time. I’ve worked with women......And I’m a woman.
Hmm. Maybe you’re right. I was thinking get it all out at once. But it might be best to keep it at moderate but constant. LOL
Don’t know why they’re making a big deal out of an 8 day trip to the moon. Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad did 8 days in a can on Gemini 5. Frank Borman and Jim Lovell did 14 on Gemini 7. IIRC, Mike Collins said that anyone can deal with anyone if the time frame is defined before hand.
A trip to the moon would in and of itself relieve any tension that might come up during the trip. I could do the 8 days floating on my head.
I noticed they’re only doing an eight-day study on the women.
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