Image copyright RIA Novosti Six Russians spend locked up for eight days as part of a scientific experiment, “Luna-2015″, which aims – to study the effect of isolation on female crew in the course of simulation flight around the moon.
The experiment was carried out at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) RAS. It attends six employees of the institute, who will live and conduct scientific experiments in a room that looked like a spaceship.
The organizers of the experiment strongly suggest that a floor member is important. Before the project, closing the door to the “spaceship”, accompanied by employees of the Institute wanted the girls to avoid conflict, not to get the story of the “six housewives in one kitchen”.
“We decided to make an all-female team to understand what physiological changes occur in a woman’s body, and explore the characteristics of the psychological interaction in the women’s team in isolation from the outside world. It would be interesting to see how they will find a common language for eight days, “- said the scientific head of the project Sergey Ponomarev in an interview with Tass .
The IBMP claim that this experiment will compensate for the gap in the insulation studies involving women.
However, the point of this study, see, not all: for example, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Tsiolkovsky, Yuri Karash called it “an imitation of activity” and even suspected organizers of sexism.
As is the case with the flight to the ISS cosmonaut Yelena Serova that journalists at a press conference a year ago managed to ruffle questions about care Hair, of particular interest at a press conference before the start caused parts toilet ispytatelnits.
The crew will “take place in a confined space for more than 30 experiments for eight days and still do without a shower, cosmetics and men”, succinctly formulated RIA Novosti news agency.
Shower and cosmetics
As told BBC BBC press secretary IBMP RAS Oleg Voloshin, the project was conceived by young scientists Institute and “generally supported” Roskosmos. Insulation experiments conducted at the Institute since 1968.
“Luna-2015″ is held in the same room, or the “system Metal”, as the project “Mars-500″. Then, the experiment involved only men who met in a closed space of 520 days in 2010-2011. The difference between the new experiment – not only in duration and gender composition of participants.
“shower we do not have, unlike the guys. It we chose. But we use wet towels, I think this week we shall do, “- said the commander of the crew Elena Luchinskaya.
Luchinskaya – PhD, senior researcher at the Laboratory of Physiology and Biomechanics of the cardiorespiratory system and corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics. Other members of the crew of the pilot – a fellow of the Institute. All of them are involved in the project on a voluntary basis and free of charge.
According to Voloshin, in the task of participating in the project included testing of new experiments that in the future we plan to spend on the ISS. IBMP RAS is responsible for conducting biomedical research in space.
“All the girls who take part in the project – is an employee of the Institute. Many of them work directly with astronauts, are directors of experiments. But in doing so, they project decided to stand on the other side, check for yourself how convenient, how much, relatively speaking, for the unprepared person doable these experiments “, – he said.
Journalists are also interested in the question: how can a girl of eight days will do no men? “We have here the work is done, and we think about the men once,” – said Anna Kussmaul participant in the experiment.
Asked about their appearance. “Inside germoobekta we wear uniforms. At the expense of cosmetics, I would like to say that we no makeup very beautiful,” – said Darya Komissarov.
The chief editor of “Space News” Igor Marinin thinks that such attention to the appearance of women in space is due to national mentality:
“The Americans it has long been a foregone conclusion: the woman is not a woman, but a member of the crew, to which attitude is the same, and requirements as to the man. We, fortunately or unfortunately, emancipation has not yet reached such a level that we women leveled just before the crew member “.
Sexism in space
A member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Tsiolkovsky, Yuri Karash said he did not see the point either with the experiment only with the participation of women, nor that his script is associated with the moon, whereas the most urgent area of study today – fly to deep space.
“Only if once again remind all progressive mankind that in Russia are studying the behavior, people’s lives in isolation and pretend that they are preparing for space exploration beyond low Earth orbit,” – said Karash added, what else could understand the study of the work of the mixed crew.
“I do not understand where does the moon. As if someone is going to some women on the moon launch. What for? This is a manifestation of a misogynist, or what? “- Asks scientist.
The IBMP RAS reject such accusations. sexism, according to the press-secretary of the Institute Oleg Voloshin, rather be called the situation in the Russian space program as a whole, because “we have only men engaged in space”.
“I perceive the situation of women as experts and those people who in the future, too, will participate in the exploration of space. If we are today, we will not engage in the study of details, then we can not take the next step, “- he said.
As in the previous isolation experiments IBMP participated only men, it is logical that the institution wants to conduct a survey among women, said Marinin. He noted that mixed crews in real space – is not news: women are regularly in the ISS. However, the only case where next to a woman in space was not a man – a flight Valetiny Tereshkova in 1963.
“Even if the Queen in 1964 was considered a variant of the female crew for the flight to” Sunrise “and trained two female crew. Moreover, in the late 70′s – early 80′s chief designer Valentin Petrovich Glushko, too, was going to rearrange the station all-female crew. Also canceled. Therefore, the relevance of sending into space a female crew in scientific terms is “- he said the chief editor of the” News of Cosmonautics “Igor Marinin.
The head of the Cosmonaut Training Center Yuri Lonchakov suggested that the number of female astronauts will increase:” Recently, ISS Elena successfully returned Serov, and the cosmonaut already have another girl – Anna Kikin. We hope that in the next set, we women will be even more “.
” Forward to the past “?
According to Voloshin, he also did not would be very discounted sending into space entirely female crew in the future.
“It is clear that in the future interplanetary flights will depart mixed crews. But the interaction in the female crew and response of the female body – this is part of the investigation, which, according to our experts, should be carried out “, – he said.
In turn, Yuri Karash criticized not only the gender composition of the experiment, but the fact that his script includes a flight to the moon. The officials of Roscosmos has repeatedly said that Russia intends to resume lunar program, which was phased out in the 1970s.
Flying to the moon – it’s pure repetition of the American program “Apollo.” Because the mankind on the moon now is not problems for solutions which would be required to create a technique different from appolonovskoy, it will be the same “Apollo”, but a side view
“Remember been this movie “Back to the Future”? Russian lunar program, which sounded Rogozin and others – is “Forward to the past.” Arguments such as: “We are here not fly to the moon, we need to gain experience.” Good: You know that Russia has never built any pentera no Trier (classes of ancient warships – approx. Bi-bi-si) – so what now? Let us, instead of creating new types of ships will practice in the construction of the ancient Greek and Roman vessels? Why is it necessary? “- He asks.
Karash said that the Soviet Union turned the lunar program, losing in this race to the Americans, although he could in the early 1970s to land astronauts on the moon, if manned project continued.
“Flying to the moon – it’s pure repetition of the American program” Apollo “. Because the mankind on the moon now is not problems for the solution of which would be required to create a technique different from appolonovskoy, it will be the same “Apollo”, but a side “- the expert said.
According to Karash, Now relevant missions into deep space. However, Igor Marinin, in turn, drew attention to the fact that flights to Mars with the onset of the crisis in Russia have lost some relevance, even though they were listed in the draft Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 year.
“What’s left after all the cuts due to inflation – nobody knows. But there are included a manned mission to Mars orbit, and then the surface of Mars, and, in the end, there was the construction of a lunar base at the South Pole. Now, under this program, doctors are trying to simulate some stages of this program, “- said the expert.
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