Earth Colony

A logical solution to the rigors of space travel and colonization is to adequately prepare our astronauts and colonists for prolonged confinement and isolation before they go.  

Short term stays in the current facilities such as the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, may be adequate for short “jaunts” into space but inadequate for longer missions. The solution to this is to develop a facility capable of conditioning the astronaut or colonists for longer missions through a conditioning program of longer duration.

This is where the MCE, or earth colony as previously posted becomes a viable alternative to existing facilities and programs. When we consider the isolation of a long mission we must prepare the crew for the many deprivations they will experience while enroute and on site. These deprivations include such things as:

1.      Separation from family

2.      Loss of freedom of movement (ability to just walk outside)

3.      Loss of social activities with friends and relatives

4.      General loss of a digital presence (social online platforms and communications)

5.      Loss of  stress relievers such as general media entertainment like movies, music, theatre and TV, or having a night on the town, or going on vacation

6.      Dietary restrictions such as not being able to obtain the wide range of foods currently available to enjoy

7.      Loss of experiencing the seasonal atmospheric changes, no longer able to feel the wind, smell the roses or swim or take a walk with nature.

8.      Walking the dog, riding a horse, hearing the birds sing or going for a Sunday drive etc.

 As you can see by this list, the crew will be deprived of many things we now take for granted. Short term facilities do not adequately prepare us for these losses as our minds and bodies can quickly adapt to such deprivations for the short term. It is in the long term isolation facilities where we will begin to identify and “miss” things we did not anticipate, simply because they were taken for granted.

Think for a moment about your day today. What did you do, where did you go, who did you see or call on the phone? What made you smile today? Did you look up at the clouds or pet a dog or hear a birds call on your way to work?

Then think about what your life would be without that, because much of what you experienced today will be lost to you in the confinement of a star ship or locked into a habitat on a hostile world.

A long term conditioning facility as proposed by the MCE will better prepare you and your nature for such deprivations.

NEXT