Finding the right people to go to Mars will not be easy. These astronauts need to be prepared to risk never returning, have no problem staying aboard a small spaceship for about seven months to reach their destination, and be among the most highly trained specialists on Earth.
However, according to a study, these astronauts may have another important feature in their choices: The astronauts who will travel to Mars first must be women.
This is actually not a new idea. In the 1950s, senior officials of NASA’s Special Life Sciences Committee proposed an idea in a program called the Lovelace Woman in Space Program that stated that female astronauts’ biological makeups were better suited for spaceflight in nearly every field compared to men’s. Women’s bodies are typically smaller and lighter, requiring less oxygen and fewer calories, saving weight and resources. Their reproductive systems are thought to be more isolated from radiation and are said to be less prone to heart attacks than men. In summary, women need fewer resources, less space, and are more likely to return from space in a healthy way.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 1950s were not a very good time for gender equality, and instead of supporting this idea, only men were sent into space. Afterwards, American women were excluded from reaching space until Sally Ride’s famous space flight in 1983, although they played prominent roles in all rocket launches.
Now, a new study by Dr. Reaffirming the ideas of W. Randolph Lovelace II and Brigadier General Donald Flickinger from the 1950s, he reaffirms that it may be advantageous for astronauts to be primarily women. The analysis focused on the estimated oxygen consumption, total energy expenditure, carbon dioxide and heat production, and water requirements of men and women on longer spaceflight missions to study the most fit astronaut.
With total energy expenditure increased by 30 percent, oxygen consumption increased by 60 percent, carbon dioxide production increased by 60 percent, and water requirements increased by 17 percent, body size alone was found to be more than enough to greatly increase all measurements for male astronauts. Female astronauts had much better overall measurements as their body size increased, with a 30 percent reduction in the most affected numbers. For the average height of men and women in the United States, there is a reduction of up to 41 percent in nutritional requirements and oxygen production.
These data, combined with the move towards smaller designs in Martian habitat modules, suggest that all-female teams may be advantageous on the first Mars landing. As the spacecraft embarks on its seven-month journey, any area where greater efficiency can be drawn from resources is of paramount importance, and perhaps female astronauts could be the answer for this arduous journey.
The study was published on Scientific Reports.
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