H.A.P.M.O.S. 
Stories of Human Adaptation

• POLAR EXPEDITIONS
  e.g., North Pole/South Pole expeditions
  characteristics: extreme cold, isolation, and harsh weather conditions, often with complete darkness or continuous daylight.
  research focus: survival strategies, mental health in isolation, effects of extreme cold, and operational challenges.
  
  
• ANTARCTICA RESEARCH STATIONS
  e.g., Concordia Station
  characteristics: extreme cold, isolation, and darkness during winter months. The remote location and harsh conditions make Antarctica a prime analogue for space research.
  research focus: effects of isolation and confinement on mental health, team dynamics, physical health in extreme cold, and long-term separation from the outside world.
  
  
• ARCTIC RESEARCH STATIONS
  e.g., Svalbard
  characteristics: extreme cold, remote location, and harsh environmental conditions similar to Antarctic stations.
  research focus: isolation and confinement effects, operational challenges in extreme cold, and testing of equipment and habitats in harsh conditions.
  
  
• SUBMARINE MISSIONS
  e.g., International naval submarine programs
  characteristics: confined living quarters, limited communication with the outside world, long-duration missions underwater.
  research focus: psychological effects of long-term confinement, operational efficiency of small crews, impact on mental health, team cohesion, and danger during wartime.
  
  
• UNDERWATER HABITATS
  e.g., NASA's NEEMO (Aquarius Reef Base)/Jules’ Undersea Lodge
  characteristics: simulated microgravity environment, isolation, limited surface access, and the need for life support systems.
  research focus: effects of isolation and confinement, testing of life support systems, habitat designs, and crew performance under simulated space conditions.
  
  
• DESERT RESEARCH STATIONS
  e.g., Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah/Desert RATS (NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies)
  characteristics: remote, arid environment with extreme temperatures and limited resources, simulating Martian conditions.
  research focus: habitat and life support system testing, psychological effects of isolation and confinement, operational challenges of remote missions.
  
  
• MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATIONS/HIGH-ALTITUDE FACILITIES
  e.g., Mount Everest Base Camp/Andes Research Stations
  characteristics: high altitude, low oxygen, extreme weather conditions, and isolation.
  research focus: physiological adaptation to hypoxia, psychological stress, operational efficiency, and team dynamics.
  
  
• CAVE EXPEDITIONS
  e.g., ESA's CAVES (Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behavior and performance Skills)/Azores CAMões (Caving Analog Mission for Ocean, Earth, and Space exploration)
  characteristics: dark, confined, and often damp environments with limited communication and navigation challenges.
  research focus: team dynamics, problem-solving skills, stress management, adaptation to confined spaces, and reliance on life support systems.
  
  
• SPACE ANALOGUE HABITATS
  e.g., HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation)/NASA HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog)
  characteristics: controlled habitat environments that simulate living and working conditions on other planets or in space.
  research focus: long-duration isolation and confinement effects, habitat functionality, crew performance, and life support systems.
  
  
• SIMULATED SPACE MISSIONS
  e.g., Mars500/SIRIUS (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station)
  characteristics: simulated missions with controlled environments replicating space travel conditions, including isolation and confinement for extended periods.
  research focus: long-term psychological and physical effects of space travel, team dynamics, mission planning and execution, and life support systems.

• RADIATION
  Outside Earth’s protective magnetic field and atmosphere, ionising radiation in space poses a serious risk to STs during deep-space missions. High-energy galactic cosmic rays, remnants from supernovas, and solar storms, like solar particle events and coronal mass ejections, can harm the body and spacecraft and have potential long-term health consequences.
  Although astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are exposed to higher levels of radiation than people on Earth, several factors limit however their impact. Indeed, the ISS orbits at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometres (about 250 miles) above the Earth, which is still within the protective layers of the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere which provide significant protection against solar and cosmic radiation. The magnetosphere deflects and traps many of the high-energy particles from the sun and cosmic rays, reducing the amount of radiation that reaches the ISS. Secondly, the ISS itself is designed with shielding materials that help protect the crew from radiation. The modules are constructed using materials that can absorb and deflect radiation, and certain areas of the ISS offer more protection where astronauts can go during periods of increased solar activity. Finally, while the ISS provides some protection, the duration of exposure is also a factor. Most astronauts/cosmonauts spend about six months on the ISS, which limits their total radiation dose compared to more extended missions or those travelling beyond low Earth orbit.
  
  Why Space Radiation Matters?

• ISOLATION & CONFINEMENT
  The psychological stress of long-duration space missions, coupled with confinement to a small spacecraft, can have significant mental health implications. Expedition crews selected for a stay onboard the space station are carefully chosen, trained, and supported to ensure they will be able to work effectively as a team for the duration of their six to 12-month missions. Crews for a Moon or Mars mission will undergo even more careful assessment, selection, and preparation since they will travel farther and potentially for longer than previous humans in an isolated and confined environment, with only a few other people. Additionally, crews will likely be international and multi-cultural, making cross-cultural sensitivity and team dynamics paramount to mission success.

• DISTANCE FROM EARTH
  The space station orbits around 400 km (240 miles) above Earth. The Moon is 1,000 times farther from Earth than the space station. In contrast, Mars is, on average, 225 million kilometres (140 million miles) from Earth. With a communication delay of up to 20 minutes one-way while on Mars, STs must be able to solve problems and identify solutions as a team without help from their mission control. The types of food and medicine to be packed for a multi-year trip without access to a grocery store or pharmacy are also essential to consider. Unlike space station crews, which regularly receive supplies from cargo flights from Earth, STs going to Mars will have to bring all of the food, equipment, and medical supplies they need.

• ALTERED GRAVITY FIELDS (/MICROGRAVITY)
  STs are exposed to a unique gravitational environment in space which can impact various physiological systems in the human body and induce several health outcomes, such as muscle and bone loss, cardiovascular changes, and fluid redistribution. On a Mars mission, STs will encounter three different gravity fields. On the six-month trek between the planets, crews will be weightless. While living and working on Mars, crews will be in approximately one-third of Earth’s gravity. Finally, upon returning home, crews will have to readapt to Earth’s gravity. Transitioning from one gravity field to another is not as easy as it seems. It affects spatial orientation, head-eye and hand-eye coordination, balance, and locomotion, and some crew members can experience space motion sickness (SMS). Landing a spacecraft on Mars, for instance, could be challenging as STs adjust to the gravity field of another celestial body. In addition, when shifting from weightlessness to gravity, STs may experience post-flight orthostatic intolerance, where they are unable to maintain their blood pressure when standing up, which can lead to lightheadedness and fainting.
  
  Gravity Fields
  
  

• HOSTILE & CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS
  The ecosystem inside the spacecraft plays a big role in everyday life in space. Microbes can change characteristics in space, and micro-organisms that naturally live on the human body are transferred more easily from person to person in closed habitats, such as the space station. Stress hormone levels are elevated and the immune system is altered, which could lead to increased susceptibility to allergies or other illnesses. Earth-based analogues do not perfectly simulate the spaceflight environment, making them insufficient for studying on the ground how human immune systems react in space. However, analogue studies could provide insight into how certain spaceflight stressors may affect the human immune system.
  

• Understanding Human Adaptation: Diary Studies in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) Environments.
  (Session 2022/ Session 2023/ Session 2024).
  in collaboration with Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), World’s Biggest Analog (WBA), and 90 North Foundation.
     
• Physiological Studies in the Field (Session 2023/ Session 2024).
  with World’s Biggest Analog (WBA)
  
  
• Challenges of Expeditions in Natural and High-Altitude Environments. (Session 2023). 
  done via Specteore: ATNS-I.
  

• Mental Health Among Polar Scientists and Researchers. (Session 2024). 
  with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).

• “Mental Health at the Edge of the World”
  NeurAstra article shared for the Mental Health Day 2024.

• VoS Programme (coming soon)
  

Citizen Science Open Call

Collaborations