Crew 216 Journalist Report 01-DEC-19
Sol 6
Author: Evgenia Alexandrova
Solitude VS. Intimacy
We suppose that living on Mars will imply a lack of intimacy: you are closed up in a very limited space with strangers or close to those. Our commander Marc has experience in isolation at the American polar station in Antarctica. He states that “the confined setting tends to force people away from each other”.
Paradoxically, the lack of intimacy creates solitude. And solitude can drive people mad. To preserve astronauts from feeling lonely, we need to create enough psychological space for them. So far ARES 216 crew managed very well in establishing a comfortable and respectful environment for every crew member.
Today we had a TV crew visiting and filming. Strangely their presence felt like an intrusion. We’ve witnessed our intimacy being shaken. This is probably the best proof that we managed to see MDRS as our home.
Anonymous haiku of the day:
A stark red vista
Compelling, yet alien
Home is far away