Vorbereitung für Marsmissionen: Sechs Menschen 100 Tage in Isolation - Studie beendet

After 100 days in isolation, six participants of the SOLIS100 research project have exited the simulation facility at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne. The European crew, consisting of three men and three women aged 26 to 32 years, returned to their regular lives on Friday after a final rest period. The study, commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA), aimed to examine the effects of long-term missions, such as those to the Moon or Mars, under extreme conditions on health and performance.

The participants from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal spent more than three months isolated from the outside world in a confined environment without sunlight. During the nearly 14 weeks, they had to cope with limited resources such as durable food and lacked personal contact with family and friends.

Their daily routine was characterized by scientific work, medical data collection, a strict exercise program, and station maintenance. Communication with the control center mostly took place over a speaker system. According to DLR Area Director Anke Pagels-Kerp, such studies are essential to prepare astronauts for the mental and physical challenges of future missions to the Moon or Mars.

Project leader Amelie Therre emphasized that this study, SOLIS100, contributes to standardizing data to make future support measures for crews comparable. The isolation took place in a research facility capable of conducting studies on extreme environmental conditions. The project, including preparation and post-study, spanned 126 days.

During the one-week post-phase following the crew's exit from the facility on August 1st, additional data on the physical and cognitive state of the crew was collected. The research team can now begin analyzing the information gathered throughout the entire period, including before, during, and after isolation, to determine the impacts.