In Massachusetts, a cadre of tiny mice anxiously wait, hoping they have the right stuff to become the first test astronauts for a very special trip into orbit. This latest space venture hopes to make future trips to Mars safer for humans, since we still have much to learn about the long-term effects of space travel on the human body. Even though we’ve been lifting off the launch pad since 1961, the question remains as to how much the human body can endure in conditions vastly different those on Earth.
July 7th, 2003
Humans on Mars Ledger-Enquirer
Where on earth could you go to practice living on Mars? This month, you could go to Devon Island, a few hundred miles from the North Pole. Devon happens to be one of eight sites chosen to practice Martian living skills. A volunteer group of four men and three women will enter a habitat module in Devon where they will live through Aug. 1. They will have limited contact with the outside world and all activities will be conducted as if they were living on another world… namely, Mars.