Data analysts George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA conducted a study to find out the number of people needed to create a base for humans to live on Mars.
There have been previous studies predicting the number of people needed to conquer Mars. In 2020, Dr. Salotti of the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux said that it would take at least 110 people to conquer this red planet. In 2001, scientists thought 500 people were needed, and another study in 2003 lowered the number to 100.
Last year, SpaceX president and CEO Gwynne Shotwell made a prediction that humans could set foot on Mars in the 2020s. So many researchers are starting to think about the possibility of building a base. of humans on Mars, and how many people are needed to run the entire system efficiently.
To find a more realistic answer, data analysts drew on data from previous studies and looked at what features would contribute to its success to create a model. colonization on Mars. This model focuses on the number of people needed to create a viable colony.
After 5 simulations of the process of conquering Mars over a period of 28 years. Each simulation, factors such as the number of people and the different personalities of the participants will be changed, the number of people in the base ranges from 10 to 170 people.
They found that the minimum number of people needed to build and maintain a colony on Mars was 22, and that people with a pleasant personality were more likely to thrive in the colony and help the community. its common existence.
Regarding the personality traits mentioned, people with a high degree of agreeableness tend to be more trusting, empathetic and willing to help others.
People with low agreeableness may be cynical, critical, or competitive. As suggested by the model, these people are more likely to fail the Mars colonization mission and may even die earlier than other members and affect the overall mission success.
Predicting how humans will behave is not always easy, especially when on Mars, a different and challenging environment.
All in all, the new research results provide us with some valuable information that could possibly be of use when humans are ready to go to Mars someday.