Artist's concept of a manned Mars spacecraft containing a stasis habitat for hibernating astronauts (in tubes at center)

Artist's concept of a manned Mars spacecraft containing a stasis habitat for hibernating astronauts (in tubes at center)

Artist's concept of a manned Mars spacecraft containing a stasis habitat for hibernating astronauts (in tubes at center)

By the time humanity is getting ready to put boots on Mars, the long cruise towards the Red Planet may be as easy as an aspiration.


NASA-funded scientists are investigating approaches to induce a hibernation state in astronauts. The job might help bring manned Mars missions nearer to reality by making the journey towards the Red Planet cheaper, safer and less taxing for crewmembers both psychologically and emotionally, researchers said.

"Every year, it's, 'We're going to attend Mars in 20 or 3 decades,'" said project principal investigator John Bradford, of SpaceWorks Engineering in Atlanta. "We want to help stop that slide. This, we presume like, addresses