How Furry Little Lemurs Could Help Humans Travel to Deep Space
THE FINAL FRONTIER
Scientists are studying how primates can put themselves into long hibernation to see if it can provide clues for our travels to Mars and beyond.
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By Hanane Hadj-Moussa, Kenneth B. Storey, and Aline Ingelson-Filpula
Science fiction is shifting into reality. With humanity’s plans to return to the moon this decade and further ambitions to travel to Mars in the next, we need to figure out how to keep astronauts healthy for these years-long missions. One solution long championed by science fiction is suspended animation, or putting humans in a hibernation-like sleep for the duration of travel time.
We can turn to nature for guidance and a potential solution to this challenge.
