Women are more suitable to go to Mars than men

An all-female crew, with biological advantages over men, would be more advantageous on the long journey to Mars.

Sally Ride made history when she became the first American woman in space in 1983. Photo: Alan C. Heison

Finding the right people to fly to Mars is no easy task. They need to be prepared to take the huge risk of never returning, live in a cramped spaceship for about seven months to get there, and be highly trained experts in any role they have on Earth. According to new research, the first astronauts to Mars should be women, IFL Science reported on May 3.

This is not a new idea. In the 1950s, experts at NASA's Special Committee on Life Sciences argued that women astronauts were better suited to spaceflight than men. A short-term, privately funded project to test female pilots for suitability as astronauts was called the Lovelace Women in Space Program.

Their bodies were generally smaller and lighter, requiring less oxygen and fewer calories, saving weight and resources. Women’s reproductive systems were also thought to be more resistant to radiation and they suffered fewer heart attacks than men. However, partly due to gender inequality at the time, only men were chosen to be astronauts. The first American woman to fly into space was Sally Ride, who made a historic trip in 1983.

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports in April helps to confirm the idea that Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II and Dr. Donald Flickinger in the 1950s showed that female astronauts have many advantages. The new study was conducted by Jonathan PR Scott, an expert at the Institute of Aerospace Physiology Medicine (MEDES) in France, and colleagues.

The team looked at oxygen consumption, total energy expenditure, CO2 and heat production, and water requirements of men and women on long-duration spaceflight missions. They found that for male astronauts, body size alone was enough to cause all indicators to increase significantly. Specifically, total energy consumption increased by 30%, oxygen consumption increased by 60%, CO2 production increased by 60%, and water requirements increased by 17%. Female astronauts performed much better even as their body size increased.

New research, combined with the current trend toward smaller living modules, suggests that an all-female crew could be advantageous for the first Mars landing.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/phu-nu-co-nhieu-loi-the-khi-len-sao-hoa-4600825.html