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theatlantic: Alexis Madrigal Ponders The Many Ways You Can Pretend to Be an Astronaut NASA needs a few good volunteers to hole up in Hawaii for 180 days and try out the food that prospective travelers to Mars might eat. It may sound crazy, but it’s one of many “analog” experiments that NASA and our Russian counterparts run to get a handle on the impacts of space travel. Before we go zipping off across the solar system, we need to know how our bodies and minds might fare under the stresses of strange food and zero-gravity. Luckily, there is no shortage of people willing to pretend to be astronauts for a little while, subjecting themselves to experiments that come with real physical risks and that make equally real contributions to off-world science. And there are even more people who want to help NASA out in other ways, too.  Read more. Things we love about this story: Astro Alexis and his space ‘stache “We can’t all be Buzz Aldrin, but nothing can keep you from being an astronaut in the solar system of your mind!” Everything else For any of you wanting to at least pretend to have the greatest job off this planet.

theatlantic:

Alexis Madrigal Ponders The Many Ways You Can Pretend to Be an Astronaut

NASA needs a few good volunteers to hole up in Hawaii for 180 days and try out the food that prospective travelers to Mars might eat.

It may sound crazy, but it’s one of many “analog” experiments that NASA and our Russian counterparts run to get a handle on the impacts of space travel. Before we go zipping off across the solar system, we need to know how our bodies and minds might fare under the stresses of strange food and zero-gravity.

Luckily, there is no shortage of people willing to pretend to be astronauts for a little while, subjecting themselves to experiments that come with real physical risks and that make equally real contributions to off-world science. And there are even more people who want to help NASA out in other ways, too. 

Read more.

Things we love about this story:

  • Astro Alexis and his space ‘stache
  • “We can’t all be Buzz Aldrin, but nothing can keep you from being an astronaut in the solar system of your mind!”
  • Everything else

For any of you wanting to at least pretend to have the greatest job off this planet.

Feb 28 2012 71 notes
Reblogged from theatlantic
  • #Science
  • #Space
  • #NASA
  • #astronauts
  • #Hawaii
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    Madrigal Ponders The Many Ways You Can Pretend to Be...Astronaut NASA needs a few good...
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    For any of you wanting to at least pretend to have the greatest job off this planet.
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    helga told me about this mars prep volunteer mission in hawaii. i love food, cooking, eating, space, and lava fields and...
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