In the Scientific and Technological Park of Cantabria (in Santander, Spain) there is a small Cape Canaveral. It is the Astroland Interplanetary Agency , a space agency whose ambitious objective is to prepare human beings for life on Mars, going beyond the laborious process of arriving on the red planet and focusing its efforts on defining the needs and conditions in which it will be lived. what to live, in what the stay on Mars will be like .
Astroland is the embodiment of the dream of its founder, David Ceballos . A dream that warmed up nearly three years ago and that has only grown since then. Martian weather conditions could not be more contrary for humans : maximum temperatures of about 20ºC and minimum temperatures of -100ºC and a harmful atmosphere due to the scant protection it provides against the sun’s rays as if from the city of Sion ( The Matrix ) will be treated. This situation makes the caves of Mars the best alternative for humans to survive, naturally protected and supported by the latest technologies . The Astroland Interplanetary Agency is preparing both in theory and in practice to make such survival possible and ensure the prosperity of future human colonies on the red planet.
Welcome to Ares Station
“The only experience comparable to being on Mars is being on Mars,” says Ceballos. Although since the first steps of the space race, ways have been sought to simulate the conditions that will be lived outside the Earth to prepare astronauts, not even the latest technological advances are capable of equating both situations. Starting from this little problem, the Astroland team has sought the best possible solution so that the project experience is, at least, close to reality .
With this idea was born the Ares Station (Ares is the Greek god of war whose Roman version gives its name to the red planet) , the heart of Astroland . It is a cave located near Santander in which Astroland has created, respecting the natural environment, a small colony in which to carry out training missions that serve as experience prior to the trip to Mars. The missions last 100 days, follow the hierarchy and the approach of a real expedition and in them the five members of the team (called astrolanders ) must carry out tasks of exploration and scientific research in disciplines such as biology or the most innovative technologies, being a unique opportunity to do field work. The Astroland Center monitors and assists the team at all times but, except for emergency situations, they depend on themselves to achieve their objectives and move forward, so teamwork becomes a fundamental factor .
The cave, whose main gallery is just over 1.5 kilometers long and in which new rooms continue to be found, is much more than a breathtakingly beautiful natural setting. The conditions of darkness, humidity and temperature create an ideal environment to reproduce that habitat hostile to humans and isolation from the outside world , really transmitting the feeling of being on a different planet.
Hero’s journey
Whether it was with Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality or following Odysseus’ journey home, human society is linked to the so-called hero’s journey (a process of overcoming, struggle, and sacrifice widely used in ancient narrative). This model can be extrapolated to other fields beyond literature and that is, in part, what has been done since Astroland. Thinking about the adversities that they will encounter during the trip and after their arrival on Mars, David Ceballos’ team has been made up of great experts from their respective fields to achieve the most complete experience possible.
Although physical fitness is important and must be worked on to withstand the daily effort, taking care of the mental and psychological aspects of astrolanders is just as necessary . The Astroland preparation program is made up of the following sections: MARS XFIT (focused on intensive physical training and personalized diet plan), MARS MIND (in which mental and neurodevelopmental instruction is carried out), MARS TEAM (on the resources and technical skills and the resolution capacity in the context of a mission) and MARS H + (on the so-called augmented humanity).
Of his extensive team, Ceballos highlights the work of Daniel Torres, Astroland’s director of human factor, and Gabriel González, astronaut psychologist . Using different methods, the mission of both professionals is to prepare the astrolanders so that they can maintain a healthy mental and psychological state that allows them to complete the missions. When you are in an extreme situation, you cannot allow loneliness, isolation, or pressure to stop you from reacting. With enough practice and proper guidance, an Astrolander is able to control those feelings to stay calm and act rationally and even control physical pain.
The experience, while tough, seems to have really inspiring results . From the teamwork and the bond that is created between the astrolanders to the hidden abilities and potentials that the preparation and the stay in the cave bring to light, who enters the cave and who leaves it is not the same person. “This trip has many learnings. There are vital ones, there are psychological ones and there are technological ones ” , confesses David Ceballos.
360º project
But the agency’s work goes beyond the physical and mental preparation necessary to face the barren Mars; Astroland is searching for the human being of the future.
The appearance of the Internet or the advances achieved by space agencies in the 20th century had direct implications in other areas and cross-cutting technologies . From renewable energy, sustainable consumption economies based on hydroponics to obtain food and the application of materials such as graphene or 3D printing technology for construction, Astroland seeks to create the patterns that will define the society of the future. He is also working on it in the field of artificial intelligence and Big Data , robotics, telecommunications, transportation, and suits and wearables .
All of this is reinforced by the idea of transhumanism, an attempt to transform the human condition through technologies that enhance our capabilities . David Ceballos highlights the possibilities of telemedicine and preventive medicine (in which they have the support of Blue Healthcare ) based on biometrics to know the state of health of the body and to be able to treat possible problems before they even manifest themselves . For more specific and difficult to manage aspects, such as mutations or inherited diseases, Astroland talks about the possibilities of CRISPR / Cas9, the system that allows to modify and correct the genome of a cell. The application of this technology can be used to improve transgenic foods, cure genetic diseases or modify bacteria and other microorganisms. With enough advances, it could even lengthen human life by slowing cellular aging .
And what to do with the moral aspects? Will Mars society repeat the same mistakes as ours? Astroland aims to learn from the past, reviewing our history to stay with the good (which is a lot) and avoid the bad (which is also there). Life on the red planet will be a second chance to create a place of coexistence based on freedom and respect in which human beings are aware of their limitations and those of their environment . In a world as contrary to us as Mars, only by enhancing the virtues of people and fostering sustainable societies can long-term survival and development be achieved.
To ensure its financial independence, Astroland Interplanetary Agency monetizes its activity through other businesses that include an innovative team building experience (using the same approaches as for astrolanders ), a three-night stay at the Ares Station offered by TripAdvisor , the creation of sustainable, healthy and self-sufficient homes called M House or its collaborations with other large space agencies such as NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) or CNSA (Chinese National Space Administration).
The idea of reaching Mars is being worked on in the long term (the most positivist estimates speak of 2024 and the most probable as of 2030) and should, following the example of the International Space Station, abandon the idea of a competition between countries and the economic and political interests so that the efforts of the different agencies have their reward.
It is not yet known who will take us to Mars, but it will be the effort of projects like Astroland that will allow us to stay.
