back to article NASA awards $1.5m for 'three steps to Mars' astronaut health program

NASA has announced plans to fund eight short-term research projects aimed at improving our understanding of space's effects on the human body, but all eight will have to share just $1.5 million in funding to accomplish their goals.  The research projects are being funded as part of NASA's Human Research Program (HRP), and …

  1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
    Pint

    Dimensional Travel

    We see so much human physiological problems when we are away from the Earth and we believe that Aliens may be visiting us ... so if dimensional travel can be worked out to explain out visitations then we might survive the oncoming future of our solar system in a few billion years and be able to visit Aliens throughout the Universe and share a conversation and a pleasant environment (icon) with them in the future.

  2. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    Isnt this communist, government paying fo medical care ? Surely the astronauts should be paying for it themselves ?

  3. GFBrynn

    Semi-Autonomous Robot Astronauts Linked to Humans

    Humanoid robots are coming online rather quickly now. Unless some new kind of treatments or shielding is developed for long voyages, perhaps a compromise could be developed. Picture a semi-autonomous robot astronaut (like the rovers on Mars but humanoid). A human pilot on Earth would link up intuitively with the robot during its trip to Mars. During the pilot’s down-time, the robot would perform routine tasks autonomously. Upon arrival on Mars, a team of robots would then build protective shelters (probably subterranean) for human astronauts to inhabit on their arrival. Robots building the shelters beforehand would greatly reduce the radiation exposure to human astronauts. This method may be less adventurous than direct human-controlled missions but would be much safer considering the presently known serious hazards stacked against long-term, direct human space exploration.

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