Boredom could be the biggest threat to a mission to Mars

In space, there is nobody to hear you yawn

Mars
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell)

Even if NASA scientists can work out the physics and engineering problems associated with a manned mission to Mars, they will still have another serious obstacle to overcome: Boredom.

Unlike in Star Trek: The Next Generation, astronauts won't be able to kill time in the holodeck. Instead, they'll be crammed into a tiny spacecraft for eight months as they traverse space, which would be like being trapped in the world's most expensive jail cell.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.