Mars astronauts 'will hibernate
for 50 million-mile journey in space'

This is cool!

From the London Telegraph courtesy of J. Orlin Grabbe:

They are drawing up plans for "sleep pods" that, according Mark Ayre, a research fellow for the agency's Advanced Concepts Team, resemble the pods in Alien and will be part of the astronauts' bedrooms.

And

The scientists believe that it is unrealistic to expect astronauts to live for years in the cramped confines of a spacecraft, and that hibernation would ease the psychological demands on them.

There are logistical considerations, too. ESA scientists have calculated that 30 tons of food would be needed to supply six astronauts on a two-year mission.

Dormant astronauts would require less food and create less waste. As a result, the craft would be lighter and would require less fuel.

Finding a way to put, and keep, the astronauts into a state of hibernation is the key. The researchers are focusing on a synthetic, opioid-like compound called Dadle, or Ala-(D) Leuenkephalin, which, when injected into squirrels, can put them in a state of hibernation during the summer.

Dr Ayre's team is testing Dadle in rats, to discover if it has a similar effect in non-hibernating animals. They have already established that when Dadle is applied to cultures of human cells, the cells divide more slowly.

The scientists are also investigating compounds that would maintain the astronauts' physical health during prolonged periods of physical inactivity.

Click here for the rest.

From Battlestar Galactica:





From Doctor Who:





From Enterprise:





As you can see, this really brings out the fanboy in me.

UPDATE PIC (for my former student, Miles).

From Planet of the Apes:





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