Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Hibernating astronauts would need smaller spacecraft
phys.org ^ | November 18, 2019 | European Space Agency

Posted on 11/18/2019 1:24:56 PM PST by BenLurkin

They took as their reference an existing mission study to send six humans to Mars and back in a five year timescale.

The study found the spacecraft mass could be reduced by a third by removing the crew quarters with a similar reduction in consumables, equivalent to several tons of saved mass. Hibernation would take place in small individual pods that would double as cabins while the crew are awake.

The assumption was that a drug would be administered to induce "torpor"—the term for the hibernating state. Like hibernating animals, the astronauts would be expected to acquire extra body fat in advance of torpor. Their soft-shell pods would be darkened and their temperature greatly reduced to cool their occupants during their projected 180-day Earth-Mars cruise.

Radiation exposure from high-energy particles is a key hazard of deep space travel, but because the hibernating crew will be spending so much time in their hibernation pods, then shielding—such as water containers—could be concentrated around them. And existing research into hibernation shows it gives enhanced radiation protection in its own right.

"For a while now hibernation has been proposed as a game-changing tool for human space travel," explains SciSpacE Team Leader Jennifer Ngo-Anh. "If we were able to reduce an astronaut's basic metabolic rate by 75% – similar to what we can observe in nature with large hibernating animals such as certain bears—we could end up with substantial mass and cost savings, making long-duration exploration missions more feasible.

"And the basic idea of putting astronauts into long-duration hibernation is actually not so crazy: a broadly comparable method has been tested and applied as therapy in critical care trauma patients and those due to undergo major surgeries for more than two decades."

(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 2001; hibernation; jenniferngoanh; planetoftheapes; scifi
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-103 next last
To: BenLurkin

Free vacations to Venus for the worthy folks! Or Mars, even.

The Marching Morons by C. M. Kornbluth
Free Ebook
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51233


41 posted on 11/18/2019 2:22:54 PM PST by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mrsmith

Lol. Plus it kills germs too.


42 posted on 11/18/2019 2:22:59 PM PST by dhs12345
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

extra body fat or bust!

you gonna need a few sets of garments or will the outfits be one size fits all?


43 posted on 11/18/2019 2:23:19 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: IronJack

“ I remember Donovan had a song decades ago called “Intergalactic Laxative.” One line went “If sh_tting is your problem when you’re out there in the stars, the Intergalactic Laxative will get you from here to Mars.”
Who knew he was prophetic?”

Wherever man has conquered, on his quest for frontiers view
I’m glad he’s always had to do, the numbers 1 & 2
It makes it oh so ordinary
Just like you and me
To know the greatest heroes, they had to sh_t and pee.

That’s from my memory banks, no searching at all.


44 posted on 11/18/2019 2:27:02 PM PST by BlueMondaySkipper (Involuntarily subsidizing the parasite class since 1981)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I don’t think ‘medically induced coma’ tech is ready for year-long use.
But, yes, it’s a good idea.


45 posted on 11/18/2019 2:30:27 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Since weight is such a big factor, why not dwarves for astronauts?


46 posted on 11/18/2019 2:30:56 PM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and ho few by deceit. Noel Coward)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: carriage_hill

“What about human body waste? Since it’s, or can be, toxic, wouldn’t that pose a problem to the traveling people? Just wondering.”

From what I know, bears don’t get up and take a dump when they’re hibernating (that’s mostly due to not eating - trying fasting for a week and you also won’t be going #2). They likely also don’t use their other plumbing, as they can just breath out moisture.

But it will be INTERESTING when humans try it on earth, it’s almost like time travel in that they will barely age, but everyone around them will be a year older. Actually not a bad concept for people who are much older than their grandkids and prefer to see them after they grow up a bit.


47 posted on 11/18/2019 2:37:18 PM PST by BobL (I drive a pickup truck to work because it makes me feel like a man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ImJustAnotherOkie

“As long as someone doesn’t wake up and eat all the food.”

Well Skunk Cabbage did say that she always wanted to be an astronaut when she was growing up, and I guess this would be an approximate representation of her on Mars, considering the tent she now wears to political events.


48 posted on 11/18/2019 2:41:46 PM PST by BobL (I drive a pickup truck to work because it makes me feel like a man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: dhs12345

“How about some additive to water that prevents is from expanding when it freezes.”

Hibernation gets you mostly there, and, for sure, with a much shorter wake-up time.

The question is whether humans can actually hibernate - doing that is not child’s play.


49 posted on 11/18/2019 2:43:32 PM PST by BobL (I drive a pickup truck to work because it makes me feel like a man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: polymuser

We could send Tyrion!


50 posted on 11/18/2019 2:44:20 PM PST by Empireoftheatom48 (WWG1WGA! Epstein did not kill himself! Eric Ciaramella, ERIC CIARAMELLA, ERICCIARAMELLA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: fieldmarshaldj
Yeah, I remember the reprint of that tall tale in "Old Farmer's Almanac" -- the fact is, humans have never been shown to be able to hibernate. So, forget it. :^) Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

51 posted on 11/18/2019 2:44:49 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: FatherofFive
Maybe after a few centuries after we terraform the place.

May not be possible due to lack of magnetic field, which protects our planet from the solar winds. Dwellings would likely have to be enclosed in protective bubbles.

True terraforming consists of creating and retaining an atmosphere with sufficient oxygen to sustain Earthly life, a lack of harmful amounts of other atmospheric gases (Mars' atmosphere is predominantly CO2) and a hydrologic cycle (That's water to you folks in Rio Linda). Earth's magnetic field prevents the oxygen and water from cooking off into space, as apparently happened on Mars.

52 posted on 11/18/2019 2:51:49 PM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: BobL
The question is whether humans can actually hibernate - doing that is not child’s play.

Test it on prisoner volunteers who are slated for execution. If they die, they were gonna die anyway; if they live commute the sentence to life in prison.

53 posted on 11/18/2019 2:54:32 PM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

those due to undergo major surgeries for more than two decades.”

Must have been at the VA, although that does seem excessive.


54 posted on 11/18/2019 2:57:34 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Empireoftheatom48

Why don’t we spend the money on earth to explore and solve problems?


55 posted on 11/18/2019 3:02:47 PM PST by oldasrocks (Heavily Medicated for your Protection.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
There's the good possibility that Stargates, wormholes, sub-space communications, teleportation, FTL drives, artificial gravity, and holographic crew members are coming eventually...

Forget those "pods"... We just have to survive Apophis twice, Islam, communism, and then be patient for a couple more centuries...

56 posted on 11/18/2019 3:04:48 PM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JimRed

“Test it on prisoner volunteers who are slated for execution. If they die, they were gonna die anyway; if they live commute the sentence to life in prison.”

Now if we were only serious about executions. But, otherwise, not a bad plan!


57 posted on 11/18/2019 3:09:08 PM PST by BobL (I drive a pickup truck to work because it makes me feel like a man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: oldasrocks

At the risk of being ‘nitpicky’, ALL money spent on space research is spent on Earth.


58 posted on 11/18/2019 3:10:54 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: dhs12345

Light atoms are what does the trick, such as hydrogen. Beryllium works well if you need a more solid material. Polyethelene (C2H4) is also good.


59 posted on 11/18/2019 3:18:24 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

The airline business is taking note on how to squash more passengers in.


60 posted on 11/18/2019 3:24:29 PM PST by bgill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-103 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson