ROOM
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Astronautics
T
he concept of humans living on Mars is
shifting slowly from the realm of science
fiction into technological reality. NASA
intends to take humans to Mars in the
2030s and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is working
towards a full-time human presence on the red
planet by 2040. Even more ambitiously, Musk
intends for this Martian colony to grow eventually
to a population of 80,000 people.
As a relatively small outpost located in a
hazardous environment far from Earth, a Mars
colony could not afford to have many sick or
The vast distance to Mars and its inhospitable environment mean it is imperative
for the first colonists in any future settlement to be independent particularly
when it comes to treating medical emergencies, as well as for general and
mental health, and many other things we take for granted. Drawing on existing
studies for long-duration space missions and related medical research, this
article seeks to identify potential countermeasures to many of the human risks
to living on Mars and suggests avenues where more research is needed.
Medic on Mars by artist
Phil Smith.
