Posted on 06/15/2015 12:30:15 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Six scientists who were living under a dome on the slopes of a dormant Hawaii volcano for eight months to simulate life on Mars have emerged from isolation.
The crew stepped outside the dome that's 8,000 feet (2,400 metres) up the slopes of Mauna Loa to feel fresh air on their skin on Saturday. It was the first time they left without donning a space suit.
The scientists are part of a human performance study funded by Nasa that tracked how they worked together as a team. They have been monitored by surveillance cameras, body movement trackers and electronic surveys.
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The dome's volcanic location, silence and its simulated airlock seal provided an atmosphere similar to space. Looking out the dome's porthole windows, all the scientists could see were lava fields and mountains, said University of Hawaii professor Kim Binsted, principal investigator for the study, in a statement.
Spending eight months in a confined space with six people had its challenges, but crew members relieved stress doing team workouts and yoga. They were able to use a solar-powered treadmill and stationary bike, but only in the afternoons on sunny days.
"When you're having a good day its fine, it's fun. You have friends around to share in the enjoyment of a good day," Dunn said. "But if you have a bad day, it's really tough to be in a confined environment. You can't get out and go for a walk ... it's constantly witnessed by everyone."
The hardest part was being far away from family and missing events like her sister's wedding, for which she delivered a toast via video, Dunn said. "I'm glad I was able to be there in that way, but ... I just always dreamed of being there to help," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Questioning the credentials of the participants (despite the contribution in the preparation phase of Biosphere 2 of worldwide top-level scientists and among others the Russian Academy of Science), Marc Cooper wrote[41] that "the group that built, conceived, and directs the Biosphere project is not a group of high-tech researchers on the cutting edge of science but a clique of recycled theater performers that evolved out of an authoritarian—and decidedly non-scientific—personality cult".
Read ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir - wildly entertaining!
Now being made into a movie directed by Ridley Scott.
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