Simulated mission to Mars made astronauts sleepy, lethargic, and less motivated

Back in November 2011, a multinational crew of six ended their 17-month long simulation to Mars and back. Confined to a trailer for 520 days, the pretend-astronauts had every detail of their lifestyle tracked, including their sleep-wake cycles, physical movements, intellectual activities, and light exposure. Now, looking at the results, it appears that the simulated journey had some noticeably detrimental effects, including a condition known as hypokinesis (decreased physical movement), an increased need for sleep, lack of motivation, and a lower tolerance for light — an indication that there's still lots of work to be done to prepare astronauts for a prolonged mission to the Red Planet.

Over the course of their simulated journey, the crew became increasingly sedentary, as shown by their decreased waking movements and increased need to sleep and rest. In addition, the majority of crewmembers also suffered from disturbances in sleep quality, an inability to stay alert and vigilant, and problems maintaining a natural circadian rhythm (one member fell into a 25-hour sleep cycle).

Writing in Science Now, Sean Treacy elaborates:





This is problematic, of course, given the need for astronauts to stay alert and attentive at all times — especially in anticipation (or prevention) of an emergency.

Moving forward, mission planners will have to take heed of the study's findings. Potential solutions include the introduction of more blue lighting to simulate conditions on Earth, including the effect of dawn and dusk. The crew could also adopt stricter schedules for both meals and physical activity. In addition, more work will need to be done to understand how to best treat sleep-wake cycles that have been thrown out of whack.


Images: NASA, AFP.