Eva Cagliostro
November 4, 2014
Earth Science/ C Block/ Mrs. McClellan
Chang, Kenneth. "In a Dome in Hawaii, a Mission to Mars." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
The article “In a Dome in Hawaii, a Mission to Mars” by Kenneth Chang describes how scientists are preparing for Mars habitation by organizing elongated stays in a dome-shaped building on a Hawaiian volcano by ordinary people. Six young adults, chosen because of their similar backgrounds and aspirations, were accepted by the NASA-financed Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (Hi-Seas) to spend eight months in this dome, imitating an actual stay on the planet Mars, so that scientists can observe their behavior. The scientists need to examine how well ordinary people work together and survive in a small space for a long period of time in order to better predict the outcome of their overall mission, habitation of Mars by humans. NASA has planned a journey to Mars in approximately 2030. It will take the astronauts six months to arrive at the planet, six months to reach Earth on the return and five hundred days for the stay on the planet. The article describes the psychological effects that isolation can cause in the human brain as well as issues like separation from Earth life, boredom with the same routines, or conflicts between the astronauts. In order to find a solution to these problems and try to find a way to maintain cohesion between the crew members, NASA has planned this eight month stay in the dome and the Mars-related aspects that will help the astronauts become accustomed to life on Mars.
This information in this article is important to society because it informs the reader about the future of space travel and the possibility of average people living on Mars in less than two decades. Before NASA sends anyone into space for such a long period of time, they want to make sure that the crew members can handle the unique conditions that they will have to endure during their stay. If all goes well in this simulation, NASA plans on sending six people into space by the year 2030, and they are already preparing for the monumental event by monitoring the psychological effects of isolation and the struggles of living with six different people for over two years. The data collected in this experiment can also be translated into other aspects of science and modern issues. Finding the effects of these factors on the human brain and the solutions can help in other situations which involve these same problems. An example of a situation like this is the prison system. Finding solutions to these problems could help when deciding how to organize inmates or their schedules inside the prison. The article reveals that scientists have this incredible plan for the future, and they are involved in the very beginning of it. Chang’s writing gives us insight into this fascinating plan and the many steps involved in it as scientists plan habitation of Mars.
Chang’s article was both informative and detailed. “In a Dome in Hawaii, a Mission to Mars” provided the reader with general information about the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation and the issues the scientists are trying to address through it. After mentioning the specific problems that the crew could possibly face in space, he then described the methods that will be used to try to resolve these issues now, so that they won’t become major issues in 2030. Chang also includes quotes from scientists working closely with this program as well as the astronauts who will be living in this dome. Although the author includes enough information to make the article complete, he definitely could have included other details about the NASA’s ultimate plan, what they will do on Mars, and what the scientists plan on doing if a conflict arises during these eight months.
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