Hibernate to go into space: science fiction or reality?

read more

While Elon Musk gives Space X 10 years to launch the first flight to Mars from Earth, human hibernation presents itself as a response to the time and physical limitations of such a flight.

The concept of hibernation for long spaceflight was mentioned in 1968 in the famous space saga of 2001, and it is constantly present in science fiction: an alien, interstellar, avatar or even a messenger…

But far from cinema, all space agencies are working very seriously on this topic. The European Space Agency, the European Space Agency, reached out about it at the end of January and hopes to launch its first missions in 20 years.

The goal of trampling the soil of the Red Planet has one day become a reality, but challenges still need to be met! 6 to 9 months of one-way travel will result in Restrictions in terms of food and equipment And of course with regard to the physical and psychological condition of the astronaut, who will also have to resist cosmic radiation.

So prolonged sleep will be one of the keys, but you still have to get there! In fact, humans weren’t created to go into space, like that Modification of metabolism and physiology is a major challengein particular to be ready for action as soon as it arrives.

Given the many unanswered questions, there are many skeptics. but then, Hibernate to go into space: science fiction or reality?

Let’s talk about it

• Nicholas BuckleyTeam Leader in the Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration Division at the European Space Agency (ESA)
• Guillemette Gauquelin-Kochhead of the life sciences department at the National Center for Space Studies (CNES)
• Fabrice Bertilbiologist, and research fellow at the Hubert Curien Interdisciplinary Institute (IPHC)
• Marc Antoine CostodProfessor of Physiology at Center University Hospital (CHU) Angers