Human torpor and long duration spaceflight. NASA investigates deep space hibernation

[Aethon]

http://www.universetoday.com/115265/nasa-investigating-deep-space-hibernation-technology/#more-115265

Kinda made me laugh. Sounds like a super fun trip to Mars. Crammed into a tiny little coffin, "invasive" tubes up your nose, the worst ice cream headache you've ever had, so bad you go unconscious, and Robots electrically manipulate your muscles for 180 days. Mmm. Sign me up. Still, you blink and BANG - you're at Mars. Nobody goes space crazy. You pop open a new Bigelow inflatable hab. and get to work.

[Duxwing]

If astronauts in cryosleep age like they would without it, then they thereby miss whatever time they spend cryosleeping. Saving ourselves headache and money by asking crews to surrender months of their lives seems unethical. Moreover, should space be man's destiny, a less-kerbal solution will ultimately be needed.

-Duxwing

[Godot]

I agree with Duxwing.

Missing out on your live for half a year (not even being able to read a book) seems to be a little bit extreme.

Although I woldn´t totally rule out the use of this form of cryosleep ...

the pay of the Astronauts (who undergo this procedure) should, however, reflect all the missed opportunities for this half year

(and therefore be much higher than the normal pay that NASA would pay for half year missions)

[rpayne88]

Makes me wonder if long term cyrosleep (1000+ years) was used, what would happen to the emotional state of the crew? I mean, everyone they ever knew would be dead by the time they woke up.

[Godot]

Makes me wonder if long term cyrosleep (1000+ years) was used, what would happen to the emotional state of the crew? I mean, everyone they ever knew would be dead by the time they woke up.

That would require that Cryosleep also stops aging ...

something that surely isn´t the case with the form of Cryosleep NASA wants to use

[Scotius]

Geez NASA - just slap a nuclear engine on the ship, and reach Mars in about a month.

[Ralathon]

Geez NASA - just slap a nuclear engine on the ship, and reach Mars in about a month.

Try playing some RSS and reaching Mars within a month. Nuclear engines aren't some magical dV monster when you have to worry about the fuel density. So building something that can reach Mars within that timespan is a herculean task that requires a ridiculously large rocket. For a rocket half that size you could just strap a lander and some engines to the ISS and fly that instead.

[78stonewobble]

I agree with Duxwing.

Missing out on your live for half a year (not even being able to read a book) seems to be a little bit extreme.

Although I woldn´t totally rule out the use of this form of cryosleep ...

the pay of the Astronauts (who undergo this procedure) should, however, reflect all the missed opportunities for this half year

(and therefore be much higher than the normal pay that NASA would pay for half year missions)

Whaa...?

How is that any different from any person spending god knows how many years on a job they don't like, but have to take? You mention "pay" yourself.

Now if we forced people to do it, sure bad, but picking volunteers is bad?

[Godot]

Whaa...?

How is that any different from any person spending god knows how many years on a job they don't like, but have to take? You mention "pay" yourself.

Now if we forced people to do it, sure bad, but picking volunteers is bad?

There is a lot of difference.

if you have a normal job during this time, you are awake during ~2/3 of the time, your brain gets stimulated, you can meet friends during this time, read, watch TV ...

you have the chance to gain experience meet new people .... your brain might develope new neural connections during this time, or strengthen existing ones.

On all this you miss out if you sleep 24/7 for half a year.

(and most of the experience your brain gains during its wake hours you won´t even notice consciously .... it happens automatically while you perform your daily duties and live your daily life)

So, yes, there is a huge difference between sleeping for half a year and staying for half a year in a job you don´t like.

With half a year in cryosleep you have practically lost half a year of your life .... totally in contrast to when you are in a normal job during this time,

even if you don´t like the job.

(and this IMHO deserves special remuneration)

Edited October 17, 2014 by Godot

[Karriz]

If they can make it work without harmful effects then I think it's fine. Of course it needs to be tested a lot.

Half a year isn't that long of a time, it's going to be about half a percent of human lifespan if life expectancy keeps increasing. It's up to the astronauts if they want to go or not.

[MockKnizzle]

Isn't the entire point of cryosleep to pass long periods of time without having to experience months or years of extreme confinement and boredom? Being stuck in a ship the size of my bedroom for the years it takes to get to say, Jupiter, sounds incredibly unpleasant... I'd much rather lay down for a nap and magically be there. What could I possibly be "missing" when I'm crammed into a soup can millions of miles from anything remotely interesting?

[Tech Support]

As a compromise, maybe they could have alternate periods of activity and sleep ?? wake up, communicate with earth, check if everything is fine, talk etc. then go to sleep for a month or so, rinse and repeat till you get near Mars. of course, this is assuming that the 'sleeping' process is simple and can be done by an individual. if you need someone else to do it, then you gotta take turns and things might get messy...

[KerikBalm]

Try playing some RSS and reaching Mars within a month. Nuclear engines aren't some magical dV monster when you have to worry about the fuel density. So building something that can reach Mars within that timespan is a herculean task that requires a ridiculously large rocket. For a rocket half that size you could just strap a lander and some engines to the ISS and fly that instead.

That depends on the type of nuclear rocket... an Orion drive would certainly do it.

Nuclear thermal has pretty bad ISP, in the grand scheme of things that are acheivable.

But to get high thrust at high ISP requires extremely high power outputs... destructive power outputs... the kind you can get with fission chain reactions though.

[linkxsc]

Dunno. If it prevents aging, perhaps. But if one is gonna get older. You're probably better off being awake, with a 20tb hdd of books, movies, music and games.

That, and have something physical for the person to do, have some stuff for then to regularly check. Anything to keep themselves active.

Besides. What if 1 of the robots or something breaks? Who will fix it?

[Northstar1989]

If astronauts in cryosleep age like they would without it, then they thereby miss whatever time they spend cryosleeping. Saving ourselves headache and money by asking crews to surrender months of their lives seems unethical. Moreover, should space be man's destiny, a less-kerbal solution will ultimately be needed

Your post made me sad, then angry, then laugh, then sad again...

Do you realize how many DECADES we steal from people's lives when we pump pollution out into their environment from a coal power plant? Or even the many exhaust pipes of a highway full of cars? Or when we don't provide sufficient police protection to minority neighborhoods because politicians think people like them are "better" and worth more than those people?

No, there's absolutely nothing unethical about allowing a willing/enthusiastic volunteer to give up years of his life for the sake of space exploration. Soldiers already willingly give up potentially ALL of their lives when they sign up to get shot at...

Sign me up the next time NASA is doing a cryo-trip to Mars. Seriously, I'd do it.

Regards,

Northstar