Female Astronauts May Be the Ticket for Mars Trips, Women's bodies strain a ship's resources less

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Female Astronauts May Be the Ticket for Mars Trips
Women's bodies strain a ship's resources less, researchers find

When it comes time to make the long, long trip to Mars, researchers suggest that all-female astronaut crews would be a good idea. For space exploration, a study published in Scientific Reports found, women have the more efficient body type.

On a mission lasting 1,080 days, per Phys.org, a crew of four women would save $158 million on food, in addition to the storage space aboard that the food would require. And women would, in general, be less of a drain on resources than men.

Female crew members use less oxygen and water and produce less carbon dioxide. Researchers found women lost 29% less water through sweating during an aerobic exercise, meaning they needed less water to rehydrate. And size differences alone provide advantages without men in the crew.

Astronauts have barely enough room to work shoulder-to-shoulder or back-to-back in spots on the International Space Station. Smaller members would be able to get the same work done at least as efficiently in the same space. The study documents a thesis that's been around since the 1950s, per IFLScience. But it was 1983 before Sally Ride broke the gender barrier.

https://www.newser.com/story/334892/all-female-crews-may-be-the-better-idea-in-space.html

[Drum]

1. Clapping here...

[HeartachesNhangovers]

2. Mars Needs Women

[Mr.Bill]

3. Those points are valid, I'm sure,

but there are small men if we are just talking about size.

[Iggo]

10. Jockeys. (n/t)

[Mr.Bill]

11. Or why not little people? n/t

[Iggo]

15. There's a science fiction story there.

Or maybe just a short story.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

17. or children

[MuseRider]

4. That would be

fantastic!

[Gore1FL]

5. We need to go with what works.

I'm thrilled at the thought of hearing the words, "That's one small step for women, and one giant leap for humankind."

[Ilsa]

6. I heard that psychologically, women, like 4-6 women, would be more

likely to complete a successful mission because they are more likely to collaborate vs argue.

[llmart]

9. That's also why we need 51% (at least) female representation in Congress.

And not the kind of "women" the GOP digs up at the bottom of the barrel.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

7. Female bodies retain water better than males

[scarletlib]

21. Boy don't we.

[roamer65]

8. Sounds like the crew should be smaller people in general.

Majority or all women.

If a smaller man goes, he should be gay.

[malthaussen]

12. I've said this for years.

It should be a no-brainer: in an environment where space and mass are at a premium, you want the smallest, least massy people.

-- Mal

[meadowlander]

18. I think it's been a consideration for submarine crews for some time

at least if a Michael Crichton book I read 30 years and vaguely remember can be relied on...

[malthaussen]

19. Yeah, but they tend to put on weight.

Too much good food and sitting around.

-- Mal

[NickB79]

13. A ship of women, and a few vials of frozen sperm

Boom, a new colony is born via IVF. All the sci-fi movies get it very wrong when they show humans migrating to other worlds.

There is literally no reason to send men into space anymore.

[BOSSHOG]

14. Good Lord

To say that women can do it all is Woke to the extreme.

Wait a minute. Women can do it all.

You Go Girls. All of you.

Got a wonderful picture of Sally Ride in my Garage.

[BlueSpot]

16. Hold out for passage of the ERA first. n/t

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

20. lol... ok.

[Johnny2X2X]

22. Interesting

I for one can't imagine how terrifying a journey to Mars and back would be. Still seems like we have a lot of hurdles to overcome to pull it off.

And beyond Mars, going to other places is probably impossible for human physiology.