Antarctica can be an overpowering and overwhelming continent, and spending winter in the Antarctic has been used as a comparable setting for long-term manned spaceflight and as a model for planetary exploration.

Isolation, sensory deprivation, close quarters and limited contact with the rest of the world all contribute to safety issues in Antartica.Alexander KumarIsolation, sensory deprivation, close quarters and limited contact with the rest of the world all contribute to safety issues in Antartica.

So the question we face is: How can we produce the “perfect astronaut” — someone who, through honed selection and detailed and directed training, can operate under any degree of isolation, stress and sensory deprivation, both effectively at individual tasks and as a sociable, skilled and appropriate crew member, for a manned mission to Mars?

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[button link=”http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/how-to-make-the-perfect-astronaut/” color=”silver” window=”yes”]The New York Times – Preparing an Ideal Astronaut[/button]

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