In regards to the mission to Mars, NASA is thinking that putting everybody on board into a deep sleep is the right thing to do.
It’s calculated that getting a manned mission to Mars would involve a minimum of 180 days of travel, which has raised concerns about how to best accommodate the astronauts.
As of late, NASA is thinking that putting everybody on board into a deep sleep is the right thing to do.
What they’re going for is torpor, a period of extended inertia in which the body’s metabolic functions are slowed significantly.
The practice is commonly called therapeutic hypothermia, as it involves lowering the body temperature as a means of achieving the desired results.
It’s not a new procedure, and has been used to treat patients whose injuries are beyond what the active human body and mind can handle.
NASA is looking into the option as sending conscious people to Mars has been deemed to exceed both reasonable risk and expense.
They’re in the midst of figuring out how to keep somebody in a suspended state for the duration of the mission.
Thus far, they’ve had success at 7 days. One scientist involved in the study acknowledges that reaching the goal may take some time, but at present feels it’s the only option.
