How I spent a year on Mars

Physicist Christian Heinicke spent 365 days in isolation with five other people in a geodesic dome on the slope of a Hawaiian volcano to understand what isolation can do with the psyche of the Martian mission team.

The wind passes silently over the barren, dry landscape. Within sight, there is no bush, no tree, no blade of grass that the wind could shake. Only barren gray-red stones.

The wind did not reach us, looking out from a single window, more like a porthole than a real window. But we heard it touch our white dome, erected on the side of a volcano.
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We lived and worked for a whole year in the middle of the slope of Mauna Loa, in conditions close to those faced by the researchers of Mars. We called our living space 110 square meters. m. "habitat", and at any output outside we had to wear suits. Each of us had our own tiny room with a bed, a small table, a chair and a cabinet with drawers.

We were cut off from civilization and relied on ourselves and on each other. We needed to perform any work that had arisen and repair everything that was breaking. Everything that we had was stored in the warehouse, which we called "tin". To the nearest supermarket was a few months. We received news "from the Earth" in electronic form, with a 20-minute delay. Approximately the signal needs to travel the maximum distance of 380 million km. between two planets.

To be honest, it took me a few weeks to truly understand what I got involved in. By that time, I had already become an integral part of the fourth, and longest, experiment, “Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, HI-SEAS]. The project was led by a team led by Kim Binstead of the University of Hawaii with money from NASA.

The purpose of the experiment was to understand what effects the mission on Mars has on the human psyche, to simulate and understand the impact of these effects on performance and mood. Keep in mind: sending people to Mars is not just a technical problem.

Critical Right Mix

No simulation can recreate the dangers that can really be encountered on such a journey. However, we are quite knowledgeable about them from the experience gained with the ISS. But it is important to understand that physical danger is only one of the many risks inherent in space travel. So far, astronauts rarely spend more than six months on the ISS. A manned mission to Mars would have taken from two and a half to three years; only the flight itself would take about six months. Therefore, the selection of candidates who can form a cohesive team that can work together in a closed room for a long time without irritating each other, and correcting with extraordinary stress is the main condition for such a mission. One of the questions posed was the support from Earth for a team on Mars to solve problems, given the large delay in communications.

The knowledge gained in the project will be useful for other groups working in conditions that fit into the abbreviation ICE (isolated, confined, extreme - isolated, closed, extreme). This includes submarine crews and people working in the Antarctic. Quite a number of incidents were recorded when quarrels between crew members threatened or nearly led to the collapse of the entire expedition. For the team, HI-SEAS has become a kind of tradition to watch “Mutiny on Bounty” together [a film based on a novel based on real events that happened on the Bounty ship at the end of the 18th century / approx. trans. ]. The scientific mission to Mars can easily fail if its members cannot cooperate.

But how to choose a team that remains united for months and even years, while at the same time working on very complex researchers? Obviously, members of the expedition to Mars should be experts in their fields. Pilots need to drive a shuttle or rocket. Engineers and technicians - to maintain the performance of the rocket and habitat. They, and doctors who care about team members, must be perfectly competent. Researchers and scientists need to understand what they are doing.

These considerations guided the selection of the HI-SEAS-IV team. Andrzej Stewart, pilot and controller from the USA was our engineer; Shane Gifford from the USA was our doctor. Cyprien Verso, our astrobiologist, was from France, and I worked as a geophysicist and chief scientist. Our group was completed by Tristan Bassingtwaite, who at the time was working on a diploma in architecture and specializing in next-generation space habitats and Carmel Johnston, a soil scientist.

By secret ballot, our commander was chosen Carmel. In fact, her word was the last in situations where it was necessary to make decisions quickly. However, in most cases the decision was made democratically. Carmel, at 26, was a little older than the youngest member of the team; Shane, 37 years old, was the eldest.

But professional classification is only half the battle. A team of the most brilliant scientists can overtake a catastrophe if they concentrate only on their own interests and cannot get along with their colleagues. In conditions in which minute distraction can cost lives, each person is critically dependent on his actions and on team members. Therefore, they all had to be adaptable, empathetic, tolerant, and, above all, put the needs of the team in the first place - even if it put them at a disadvantage. Only in this way can the team continue to exist, deciding serious disagreements and continuing its mission.

Conflicts with which we are confronted will inevitably appear on an expedition to Mars. Sometimes we quarreled about scattered empty coffee cups, sometimes because of how far we could go through dangerous terrain, being outside. And no matter how carefully selected the team members - to avoid differences of opinion is impossible. But a good team is distinguished from a bad one by the fact that the former quickly recovers from disputes and generally maintains high performance.

A storehouse of outdoor experience

Each of us brought to the project various personal qualities, experience, attitudes and working habits. Carmel, our commander, was a man of action. Her motto can be expressed by the words: "Do not postpone for tomorrow what can be done today." She was businesslike, solved problems, improvising if necessary. By her own admission, she would prefer to sleep outside, under the stars in a sleeping bag, than in bed. Paradoxically, she voluntarily decided to spend a whole year indoors, but her endless wealth of the experience gained during forays into nature greatly helped us endure our stay in the Martian dome. We were cut off from civilization and were forced to seek internal resources and get along with the equipment that we took with us.

Its opposites were two members of the team, with a passion for analyzing each situation for the presence of potential weaknesses during planning. They did everything possible to ensure the safety of the team - and, ironically, most of the accidents happened to them. The three remaining team members may have played a major role in dealing with the emerging conflicts. Two of them were conciliators, reasoned by reasoning and asking leading questions during disagreements. And there was Tristan, whose wit guaranteed that even serious disagreements could be resolved with laughter.

The topics we have discussed have changed throughout the year. But the cause of conflict has always been the same: the difference in motivation. Some volunteered to take part in the experiment, because they saw in him a personal challenge and an opportunity to enrich their experience. Any requests from researchers from the HI-SEAS team were performed without sound. In their free time, they worked on their own projects.

Others joined in hopes of improving their chances of becoming astronauts. There is nothing wrong. But this led to the fact that two participants tried to live this year, straining as little as possible. They disowned any work that was not assigned to them from the very beginning. In some cases, disputes over tasks that would take five minutes to complete took hours to complete.

It is doubtful that any person trying to get to Mars will sit and watch movies, instead of studying the surface of the planet. But our experience has shown that, although astronauts on a real journey to Mars do not have to have similar character traits, they must be on the same wavelength when it comes to work.

Strength test of nerves

Other factors also ruined our nerves. For example, it was hard for me to realize that I could not walk more than 11 meters in a straight line, or sleep with the window open. I lacked fresh raspberries. What all six participants agreed on was that the endless expanses of volcanic stone made us miss the bright colors of nature. Even the city dwellers among us felt the same way. As astronauts on the ISS or members of a team of submarines, the Martian team is all the time indoors — either in the dome, or “outside” in the spacesuit.

Because of this, we could not feel a touch on the skin of the sun or wind. In the same way, although we saw our environment through the helmet visor, the real world was unattainable for us. The outer wall of the dome, the spacesuit, every stone: everything felt the same, being muffled by our gloves. Even if human beings ever land on Mars, we will inevitably see him as outsiders.

Even under the dome in a few months, nothing has changed. We knew every nook, every smell, every noise. A few people took aromatic oils with them so that our noses could afford an olfactory vacation, but this did not help much. Paradoxically, such measures, which we hoped could remind us of our previous life, as a result only made us feel more isolated. Among other things, we took a virtual reality program in which you could pretend to be sitting on a beach or walking in the woods or through the streets. Such a pastime was a welcome change of scenery. But at the same time, it reminded us that we are surrounded by a desert of frozen lava.

Physical isolation from the Earth meant isolation from its inhabitants. We could not see them, smell them, or touch them, but even worse, every word we transmitted was delayed by 20 minutes. In such conditions it was impossible to conduct a personal or inspiring conversation. As a result, we exchanged only urgent messages. At first, such an agreement worked well, but over time we lost a sense of connection with friends and family. And the loss was mutual. Although we, the “Martians,” received selected news from home, we only had superficial ideas about what was happening. At the same time, our families felt less and less what was happening to us. The process of separation was gradual and insidious. In my case, it took almost nine months, until the end of the third quarter, which everyone is very much afraid of, until I began to feel really alone and forgotten. By that time, some of the team members were struggling with emotional decline.

Most of us have developed strategies to deal with isolation. It seems to me that those who played sports and worked actively every day coped best of all. A dedication to the project and a sense of personal growth gave them a sense of inner satisfaction.

It is no secret that exercise helps reduce stress. But on the way to Mars, they will play another role. Weightlessness and the effects of reduced gravity are detrimental to health, so astronauts will have to actively engage in order not to lose bone and muscle mass.

We turned our raids on the territory adjacent to the dome into a mixture of sports and work. For example, we experimented with the extraction of water from extremely dry petrified lava, the dryness of which is comparable to the Martian. We went out into spacesuits once every two or three days. I think everyone will agree that a walk on a rocky uneven surface in a suit weighing up to 25 kg at a distance of 2500 m refers to vigorous exercise. By the end of the mission, our excursions could last for six hours. We went to various research expeditions, studied the order of hundreds of caves in the vicinity. After all, the goal of a flight to Mars is to reveal the secrets of the planet, and not to remain in its tiny cocoon.

This kind of research will be the first thing on Mars. Firstly, the caves provide some protection against cosmic radiation, from which on Earth we are protected by a magnetic field and a dense atmosphere. At the same time, they can retain more moisture than the surface, and even provide shelter to living organisms. If such organisms existed on Mars, they most likely survived in caves.

The question of whether life on a red planet exists or existed is one of the key reasons for sending an expedition there. But without it, people have always done difficult work in order to know our own planet. Non-governmental initiatives, such as Mars-One , or SpaceX's ambitious plans show that many people are ready to endure the harsh conditions of dangerous travel. Probably the flight is only a matter of time.

Studies such as HI-SEAS are designed to increase the chances that the first Martian teams will be able to survive, and create an environment in which team members can concentrate on finding signs of life, rather than spending their energy on conflicts and petty competitions.

If I could go to Mars today, I would not hesitate - if I could get along with the team, and I would know that I would return home unscathed. My annual experience has allowed me to understand well the negative aspects of life far from Earth, and I know that I can stand it. And although the time I spent on Hawaiian Mars did not make me a different person, I became calmer in the face of terrible psychological stresses. Now shake my calm is very difficult. For the privilege of delving into the secrets of an alien planet, I would gladly have given up fresh raspberries for several years.

Necessary things in space

For a successful mission to Mars, the team is required to work together under strong pressure. Psychologist Dietrich Manzie knows how to avoid contention in space

From the editors: the flight to Mars and back is not only a technically difficult problem, the human factor also comes into force. How can several people be able to exist together for several months while in isolation and confined space? Psychologist Dietrich Manzi, a professor of work ethics, engineering and organizational psychology at the Berlin Institute of Technology, spent most of his career studying this topic. He was involved in the research of many space missions and observed astronauts from the European Space Agency during their work on the ISS. Manzi discussed the difficulties that astronauts may encounter when traveling on an expedition to Mars with Corina Hartman from Gehirn & Geist.

Professor Manzie, we have been sending people into space for over 50 years. Why does the journey to Mars pose particular problems for astronauts?

First, the flight to Mars takes much longer than any of the expeditions already completed - six months. To return, the team will have to stay on Mars until the distance to Earth is reduced to the optimum - and this may take a whole year. In addition, communications with the control center will be seriously limited. If the team asks a question, it will take 40 minutes to get an answer. Under such conditions, it will be impossible to support the mission as we are used to doing this with other missions closer to Earth.

When a small group of people lives in a closed space in difficult conditions for so long, no doubt, some problems should appear?

The 2010 Mars-500 study, during which six volunteers who simulated an expedition to Mars, spent 520 days in a container near Moscow, showed that people are able to withstand extreme conditions and still coexist with each other. The previous similar study from 1999 did not go so smoothly - during the celebration of the New Year, several glasses of champagne gave rise to a scandal, and one participant was kissed without her consent. This scandal is often cited as an example of the risks inherent in the long-term missions of small teams. But violence and ill-treatment also occur on Earth. I believe that the problems that we encounter at home can happen in space. Of course, there their consequences will be much more serious, because a person will not be able to leave the scene of action. Therefore, it is important to carefully train the team to minimize potential chaos.

Are you looking for specific social traits during the process of psychological approval?

First, we look for a set of skills that is similar to what is required from the pilots: attentiveness, memory, spatial orientation, reflexes. Candidates do not need to show perfect achievements in all these disciplines, but they should not have obvious problems with them. We are looking for an average of well-coping people. In the second set of tests, we look at non-technical characteristics, for example, the ability to cope with pressure, make decisions and work in a team. It is important that candidates can successfully communicate with each other, act together and put themselves in the shoes of another person. Such skills are required to resolve conflicts. Therefore, we give the candidates a set of questionnaires and observe how they work in groups.

What personal qualities are especially important?

It is important to avoid extremes. Excessive extroverts can spoil the group dynamics as well as excessive silence. If a person constantly needs communication and social interaction, he will probably not cope with the long-term mission. In the same way, an introvert who needs to spend a lot of time alone can get into trouble, since he has nowhere to go. People need a good balance. And average values ​​are best - except for such traits as the ability to agree and good faith, which should have high rates.

There are people who seem to get along with any group. Is it possible to measure this quality?

In fact, we are looking for people who can get along with completely different people. But it's not easy to measure. Some candidates seem to coincide with everyone and get along well with the group. With them, they bring increased social adaptability, while maintaining their integrity. This uniquely feeds group harmony.

How is hierarchy established in a group?

Such decisions are usually political in nature, and the commander is appointed from the outside. At the missions on the ISS, the command is taken alternately by an American and a Russian. In the next mission in 2018, Alexander Gerst will be in command. He is from Germany. Psychologically, it is important to make sure that none of the team members dominate excessively and lose dependence on the needs of the group. Too many members of this kind of team - and the likelihood of conflict increases dramatically. I would suggest that the crew members for a mission to Mars should already know each other well before the flight. During the training phase, astronauts will be closely monitored and, if problems arise, take appropriate measures.

What should this training phase look like?

Now it consists of survival training, in which candidates for astronauts jointly solve problems in extreme conditions. The European Space Agency offers the CAVES course (“caves”, or “Cooperative Adventure Skills”), in which the group spends two weeks in the cave system Italy NASA uses a submarine lab next to Key Larco, Aquarius, to simulate missions. The team members take turns in the role of leader in order for each of them to gain experience in issuing and executing orders, and learn how to work in a team. These teams probably will not be sent into space together, because these exercises are aimed at improving the skills of each person.

As a psychologist, do you see other potential astronaut problems?

Astronaut diaries show that they are prone to immersion in their work. Many find tedious periods of idleness, or the need to do homework or inventory. Boredom can be the greatest threat of conflict. Therefore, in long-term missions, it is very important that team members are constantly engaged in meaningful work. Astronauts need to know that their sacrifice is justified.

Additional materials:

• The Unexpected Effects Of A Sexual Harassment Educational Program. SG Bingham and LL Scherer in Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 37, pages 125–153; 2001.
• Managing Workplace Sexual Harassment: The Role of Manager Training. TJ Buckner et al. in Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, Vol. 26, pages 257-278; 2014
• Are they true to the cause? Beliefs about Organizational and Unit Commitment to Sexual Harassment Awareness Training. HK Cheung et al. in Group & Organization Management, doi.org/10.1177/1059601117726677; 2017
• EEOC report on the Study of the Harassment in the Workplace (June 2016): www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/task_force/harassment/report.cfm
• Some Effects of Brief Training Interventions on Perceptions of Sexual Harassment. RS Moyer and A. Nath in Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 28, pages 333–356; 1998
• Individual Differences in Affectiveness of Sexual Harassment Awareness Training. E. Perry et al. in Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 28, pages 698–723; 1998
• Individual and Contextual Inhibitors of Sexual Harassment Training Motivation. BM Walsh et al. in Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol. 24, pages 215–237; 2013
• Preventing Sexual Harassment: The Effect of Multiple Training Methods. KM York et al. in Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, Vol. 10, pages 277–289; 1997

Christian Heinicke is a German physicist and engineer. She is mainly interested in the fact that it flows - water, air, molten metal, also studied the aurora and conducted simulations of the Earth's mantle. At HI-SEAS, working on extracting water from the ground, studying the team's sleep patterns and conducting experiments related to the toxicity of the Martian soil.