A four-month simulated mission aimed at studying ways to feed astronauts during a trip to Mars has finally concluded.
The mission, dubbed Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), was launched in mid-April this year and concluded on Tuesday this week, when six explorers emerged from a space habitat.
The 118-day operation, which was led by Cornell University and the University of Hawaii, was running nearly 8,000 feet above sea level on the northern slope of Mauna Loa on Hawaii's Big Island.
Using micro-blogging site Twitter, Commander Angelo Vermeulen announced, "We have landed. #hiseas Mission 1 is officially over."
During the mission, the explorers ate several different types of instant foods. They used shelf-stable ingredients to cook some of their foods. They rated the foods and prepared detailed records of their body mass, health status and moods.
Sharing his experience during the mission, Vermeulen said that they enjoyed wheat bread, nuts, rye crackers and dried fruits. He noted that shelf-stable foods are normally highly processed and hence lack fiber. He added that he would like to include spices, hot sauce and herbs during a mission to Mars or Moon.
Funded by American space agency NASA, HI-SEAS will help scientists determine how to keep astronauts healthy as well as happy during long travels in space.
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