ESA Monitors Concordia Stations Crewmembers
18.06.2008 - Logistics, Other, Antarctic
A cooperation agreement between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the operators of Concordia station in Antarctica outlines medical research projects to be carried out on the station's crewmembers. The idea is to see how the human body withstands and adapts to the extreme environment of Antarctica, with the hope of getting insight that can be used in planning crewed missions to Mars.
Standing at 3,200 metres high in one of the most remote areas on Earth, environmental constraints at Concordia station are similar to those which would be expected during crewed space missions. Not only are the environmental constraints a major challenge to the crew, but they would have to deal with any accidents and problems that arise immediately and autonomously.
Due to the similarities between the two scientific missions, ESA will carry out certain technological validation as well as medical, physiological and psychological tests on the Concordia station's crew. An initial monitoring device ,which is minimally intrusive and easy to use, has recently been shipped to Antarctica for the Concordia crew to evaluate.
