Can humans land on Mars without fainting? New study model answers if its possible

The European Space Agency (ESA) has aimed to land its astronauts on the surface of Mars by 2040 whereas Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning to do the same even sooner. However, there remains a major physical challenge that the first batch of astronauts will have to overcome to explore Mars after landing. In a recent study, the Australian National University (ANU) underscored that the months-long travel to the red planet might have major physical implications as the astronauts might faint soon after their landing. 

However, the University experts have also developed a mathematical model to predict whether the astronauts will be safe post landing and according to them, it is possible.

Why would astronauts faint after Mars landing?

Everything has to do with the outer space environment as the lack of gravity makes the body fluids float up to the upper part of the human body. Since a one-way trip to Mars would take at least seven months, being exposed to zero gravity for such a long time deprives the lower body of those fluids including blood. 

(Martian landscape captured by Perseverance rover; Image: NASA)

"We know it takes about six to seven months to travel to Mars and this could cause the structure of your blood vessels or the strength of your heart to change due to the weightlessness experienced as a result of zero gravity space travel," Dr. van Loon, lead author of the paper said in an official statement. And when the astronauts return after their mission, the fluid shifts away from the upper body.

(Martian landscape captured by Perseverance rover; Image: NASA)

This is the same reason why some astronauts collapse when they return to Earth after staying in the International Space Station (ISS) for a few months. "This is quite a common occurrence as a result of space travel, and the longer you're in space the more likely you are to collapse when you return to gravity", the expert further said. The experts also underscored that staying in space also makes one's heart lazy as it does not have to work as hard to pump the blood upwards. 

Is a safe Mars landing possible?

To determine the probability of a safe Mars landing, the ANU team simulated the impact of prolonged exposure to zero gravity on the cardiovascular system to determine whether the human body can tolerate Mars' gravitational forces, which are weaker than Earth's. "The purpose of our model is to predict, with great accuracy, whether an astronaut can safely arrive on Mars without fainting. We believe it's possible", astrophysicist Dr. Emma Tucker said. 

The experts say that their model could help solve the puzzle of safe landing on the red planet as it could be used to assess the impact of short and long-duration space flight on the body. Conducting such experiments and being ready for such medical emergencies is necessary because if those situations arise, there would be no one to help the astronauts.