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Scientists emerge from Hawaiian isolation after simulating life on Mars

A NASA-funded study tracked scientists cut off from world for eight months to gain data for a future Mars mission.

The Associated Press
June 20, 2015 at 4:43AM
In this March 10, 2015, photo provided by the University of Hawaii at Manoa HI-SEAS Human Factors Performance Study, mission commander Martha Lenio collects a soil sample outside of the dome in which six scientists lived an isolated existence to simulate life on a mission to Mars, on the bleak slopes of dormant volcano Mauna Loa near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. The scientists who took part of a human performance study funded by NASA, stepped outside the dome at 8,000 feet elevation to feel
Mission commander Martha Lenio collected a soil sample outside of the dome in which six scientists lived an isolated existence to simulate life on Mars. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Six scientists who were living under a dome on the slopes of a dormant Hawaii volcano for eight months to simulate life on Mars have emerged from isolation.
The crew stepped outside the dome that's 8,000 feet up the slopes of Mauna Loa to feel fresh air on their skin. It was the first time they left without donning a spacesuit.
The scientists are part of a human performance study funded by NASA that tracked how they worked together as a team. They have been monitored by surveillance cameras, body-movement trackers and electronic surveys.
Crew member Jocelyn Dunn said it was awesome to feel the sensation of wind on her skin. "When we first walked out the door, it was scary not to have a suit on," said Dunn, 27, a doctoral candidate at Purdue University.
The dome's volcanic location, silence and its simulated airlock seal provided an atmosphere similar to space.
Tracking the crew members' emotions and performance in the isolated environment could help ground crews during future missions to determine if a crew member is becoming depressed or if the team is having communication problems.
"Astronauts are very stoic people, very levelheaded, and there's a certain hesitancy to report problems," said University of Hawaii professor Kim Binsted, principal investigator. "So this is a way for people on the ground to detect cohesion-related problems before they become a real issue."

This March 10, 2015 photo provided by the University of Hawaii at Manoa HI-SEAS Human Factors Performance Study shows a dome in which six scientists lived an isolated existence to simulate life on a mission to Mars, on the bleak slopes of dormant volcano Mauna Loa near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. The scientists who took part of a human performance study funded by NASA, stepped outside the dome at 8,000 feet elevation to feel fresh air on their skin Saturday, June 13, 2015, the first time t
The bleak slopes of dormant volcano Mauna Loa near Hilo provided an atmosphere similar to space. Crew member Sophie Milam, at bottom, conducted research outside the dome. The crew said they relieved stress during their mission with team workouts and yoga. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
In this May 21, 2015 photo from the University of Hawaii at Manoa HI-SEAS Human Factors Performance Study, crew member Sophie Milam conducts a research project outside of the dome in which six scientists lived an isolated existence to simulate life on a mission to Mars, on the bleak slopes of dormant volcano Mauna Loa near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. The scientists who took part of a human performance study funded by NASA, stepped outside the dome at 8,000 feet elevation to feel fresh air
In this May 21, 2015 photo from the University of Hawaii at Manoa HI-SEAS Human Factors Performance Study, crew member Sophie Milam conducts a research project outside of the dome in which six scientists lived an isolated existence to simulate life on a mission to Mars, on the bleak slopes of dormant volcano Mauna Loa near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. The scientists who took part of a human performance study funded by NASA, stepped outside the dome at 8,000 feet elevation to feel fresh air on their skin Saturday, June 13, 2015, the first time they'd ventured out without donning a space suit in eight months. (Martha Lenio/University of Hawaii at Manoa via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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