In the depths of the Antarctic winter, expeditioners at Australia鈥檚 research bases might as well be on the Moon. Or on their way to Mars.
鈥淲hen you are in Antarctica you know you can鈥檛 get out 鈥� there鈥檚 no rescue during winter. And that changes one鈥檚 mentality,鈥� said Des Lugg, head of polar medicine at the Australian Antarctic Division from 1968-2001 and now a consultant to NASA.
鈥淵ou can get back faster from the International Space Station than you can from the Antarctic in the depths of winter,鈥� he said.
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It鈥檚 that very isolation that makes Australia鈥檚 Antarctic bases and their expeditioners perfect for planning long-term space missions, he said.
Since 1993, NASA has run a joint programme with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) studying human health and how small groups adapt to many months of isolation working in the coldest place on Earth.
鈥淎ustralia鈥檚 Antarctic programme has some of the most isolated stations in Antarctica where we have total isolation for up to nine months of the year,鈥� said Jeff Ayton, the division鈥檚 chief medical officer.
Extreme environments
He said Australia鈥檚 Antarctic stations were good analogues for space travel and figuring out how people get along in close environments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an extreme environment and we鈥檝e got real people in real hazardous situations and their survival is dependent on technology and complex systems not too dissimilar to survival in space,鈥� Ayton said. 鈥淲e also have wide experience of the medical conditions that can occur in Antarctic stations and they are of interest to people planning for long-term missions to Mars and other exploratory missions.鈥�
In particular, NASA has shown interest in the division鈥檚 decades-old experience in using super-generalist doctors at its bases. Some of these have been recruited from rural Australia, home of the traditional country doctor who is adept at tackling just about any medical challenge.
Weaker immune systems
Doctors down south have conducted brain surgery, fixed fractures and given counselling on mental health problems. 鈥淲e have managed pregnancies in Antarctica. That is part of the medical spectrum we have to deal with,鈥� Ayton said.
Such broad experience would be crucial on a long-term mission to Mars or beyond. Other medical conditions also present challenges.
Studies have shown that Antarctic expeditioners suffer vitamin D deficiencies through lack of sunlight and depression, as well as weaker immune systems.
Ayton said studies have shown the reactivation of latent viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr virus or other members of the herpes virus family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not fully known to date what causes immune suppression. We鈥檝e looked at psychological factors on the immune system. We鈥檝e looked at vitamin D effects on the immune system and the stresses in small, confined environments,鈥� he said, adding studies have shown similar changes to the immune system in space.
Re-activated viruses
Lugg said viruses tend to lie dormant in the body and then reactivate in space or in Antarctica.
鈥淣o one has exhibited any clinical disease. This is the other interesting thing. Although they have altered their immune status, there is no clinical disease that we鈥檝e been able to detect in Antarctica to show for the altered immune response,鈥� he said.
Mental health is another top issue. Being confined to a small base with a dozen or so colleagues for months away from family and friends can be a major source of stress for some expeditioners.
Lugg and Ayton said the vast number of people adapted well to life in Antarctica with only very rare cases of expeditioners suffering mental breakdowns.
Lugg did a 25-year study of documented behavioural health problems in Antarctica and said the incidence rate was 4% of all primary consultations to the base doctor.
Psychotic event
鈥淵ou have sleep problems, but what you are looking for are the classic psychosis episodes,鈥� Lugg said. 鈥淭here was a guy one year who heard babies cry. He came to the doctor and he said 鈥業鈥檓 hearing voices鈥�. Fortunately, he was able to be got out because it was just before the close of winter.鈥�
While such cases were rare, having just one episode in Antarctica or in space could be disastrous. 鈥淗owever many you have going to Mars in a tin can and someone has a major psychotic event, they are going to have great difficulty handling that,鈥� Lugg said.
Pre-expedition health and psychological screening were crucial, and in the future hopeful expeditioners might also be subjected to genetic testing.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 take asthmatics, you don鈥檛 take anyone who鈥檚 epileptic, who鈥檚 on cardiac medication or had a cardiac problem, hypertension 鈥� you screen out a vast number of people,鈥� said Lugg, who spent five years working in Washington with NASA鈥檚 Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer until 2006.
Amorous liaisons
Also crucial were the 鈥渘iceties鈥�, said Lugg, such as understanding human nature as well as cultural differences. 鈥淲hen you are dealing with humans, you鈥檝e got to get back to the very basics, and that is their ability to live together, to work together and the health side of it.鈥�
This included fighting boredom by providing a good variety of food. It also meant understanding that sex and a glass or two of wine with dinner were normal desires.
Ayton said there were no restrictions on expeditioners when it came to sex. Whatever amorous liaisons occurred between expeditioners were their own business during the nine months or more away from families (see Out-of-this-world sex could jeopardise missions).
鈥淎ustralia鈥檚 Antarctic stations are no different to any other Australian community,鈥� said Ayton, echoing Lugg鈥檚 view that it was crucial to keep base life as normal as possible.
