Inhabiting the Red Planet

The question of whether or not Mars will ever be inhabitable to humans has been a topic that scientists and researchers have been inquiring and studying for years. In more recent years, scientists have discovered that an uninhabited island in the Canadian High Arctic, Devon Island, allows for realistic mission goals to be tested. In this project, I will be studying how this location is ideally suited for practicing living on Mars. During the FMARS 2007 Long Duration Mission, a four month period allowed for research and breakthroughs to occur. There are operational scenarios that can withstand on this island, similar to what a real crew would experience on Mars. In this human factors research project, certain aspects were studied to determine what a real crew would face on their eventual mission to space. These included countermeasures to stress and isolation, analysis of group dynamics, analysis of environment habitability, cognitive performance, sleep disruption under the Arctic Martian Sol conditions, and food choice, preparation, and overall satisfaction. What do these endeavors mean for future living conditions on Mars, and how does this research contribute to further scientific discoveries and breakthroughs? As I further my research on Devon Island and its correlation to Mars, I am hoping to gain more knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of the suitability of this location as a testing ground for a Martian terrain.