Mars Dune Alpha - NASA’s Simulated Mars Mission

Join NASA on a journey to Mars like no other! Meet the crew of Mars Dune Alpha, living in isolation for 378 days to prepare for the Red Planet. What challenges await them? Discover the innovative 3D-printed habitat and how it's all about mental and physical health. Don't miss this unprecedented mission - it's one small step for them, one giant leap for Mars exploration!

[@Emcron]

simon having his talking head randomly superimposed on another body always amuses me 😆

[@sujimtangerines]

9:00 lol Tall guy in HI-SEAS program photo wearing a Blue Sun shirt from Firefly. SHINY!

[@bradlevantis913]

Having worked on ships for much of my career having even a tiny space to call “your room” is incredibly important. Just to look at anything of yours that is not institutional brings a sense of calm

[@dinodinoulis923]

I spent a year living aboard a yacht with between 10 and 18 other crew members, and my experience was that when the shit hits the fan that’s when everyone pulls together. It’s when there’s no firm collective goal that friction becomes more likely. I don’t think the fear of actually dying would be a big problem, I suspect the bigger issue will be crew members starting to wonder if their sacrifices are really worth it.

[@halley4032]

Yes, similar situation working on an Antarctic base for 2.5 years. Some people got real moody, others seemed unaffected, but we did all pull together when a few emergencies occured.

[@princecharon]

'Preparing for the Mars mission' is one of the reasons (sometimes directly mentioned, sometimes only implied) for having a permanent Moonbase. Far from the only reason, but certainly a good one.

[@WizardOfCause]

With the right ssd the crew could have more movies and tv shows than they could watch in their entire time in Mars

[@aurorarookwood2093]

With two SSD's they might even have enough space to store half of Simon's videos!

[@radaro.9682]

Ummm, I've got over 14tb of media and I'm not anywhere near more than a lifetime. I only have roughly 3 years of playtime before I'd start repeating stuff. For the life of a human you'd need a LOT more space.

[@johannesnoneoftheabove9957]

This media could be used to acquire sociological/psychological data based on viewing preferences and subsequent social interactions of the crew members.

[@ThaGr1m]

​@@radaro.9682he said "entire time on mars" not lifetime, meaning 12,5 months so he's not wrong

[@rayneweber5904]

They could even watch all of Veronica Mars. If they hated themselves.

[@GerardBK00]

Damn I love your content. Keep it up, do not stop. Waiting for your channel to pop up. 👍👍👍

[@gregoriancatmonk6904]

I wonder if they could use a chat gpt bot to simulate a real time conversation regularly with someone.....it would be interesting to see if a ten minute conversation with a simulated person would effect them psychologically.

[@bluegizmo1983]

The problem with all of these simulation tests is the complete lack of real danger. They need to setup a long term test like this, but put the entire habitat inside a vacuum chamber and keep it at Mars atmosphere outside the habitat, so there is real danger, which will seriously change how the crew work and their mood and stress.

[@andybrooke1961]

Simon, I spent more time then that in solitary confinement while in prison and I did great. I exercised, read books, played chess with myself, it’s very doable with the right people.

[@artman2oo3]

They can simulate anything… except the gravity difference. Right?

[@weinaddis5299]

How does this channel not have more subscribers is beyond ,me keep em coming.

[@rjswas]

Likely because he has a zillion channels, so they are spread out over them all, instead of on 1 main channel lol.

[@gugman9684]

The channel has only been around for just over a year now and was created on 21 June 2022.

[@YoJimBoHugabaJoe]

Because the guy spams out 5 new channels a week

[@adriantcullysover4640]

You clearly don't know who this guy is haha. Seems like ma guy spams more channels then videos.

[@awsumaustin7650]

This channel is very informative. I love it.

[@3MinutesToKill]

I'd like to send some people to Mars...right now.

[@bertconklin9778]

Hello from Olympia Wa USA! Simon, you're the best!

[@capnstewy55]

The scyfy show Ascension was an entertaining version of a mission like this.

[@markwilliams5654]

Interesting skin tones lighting 😊

[@Etymon-jt3zw]

You would think the first practical step to sending anyone to Mars For an extended period of time would be to maintain some sort of permanent colony on the moon.

[@MrGoesBoom]

Right? Long term low gravity, long term life support, getting in situ resource extraction polished up and ready for large scale use....getting all that stuff polished and well established while still close to home seems like it'd be the way to go before heading off to Mars where if something goes wrong the crews are screwed

[@nicolaismestad543]

so the artemis program? nothing wrong with preparing early for the red planet when the plan is to go to the moon first,most of the aspects of this test would provide usefull info for the moon to:)

[@usonumabeach300]

I really think that it would be smart to run hundreds of test groups for a much larger statistical sample size.

[@JWQweqOPDH]

Maybe they'll do another round after this one, but NASA has a budget 25 times smaller than the defense budget, and only a small part of it goes to manned space travel research.

[@theproudgeek12]

Ross Brockwell...actually looks like Captain Jonathan Archer 😂

[@TheKrausenKid]

3 roommates and I had a great time during covid in our small apartment. NASA if you are reading this the secret is rocket league and beer.

[@radnelac]

Now do one including the trip ther and back with a year on planet.

[@latenighter1965]

That "house" is BIGGER then I have in my apartment, and I have 3 adults living in this place. I think they could do it easily. If not then let me show you. Also, if ANY of them couldnt handle this, or needs to have everything they have here on Earth, then PLEASE tell them to quit trying and allow someone like myself who could LOVE going to Mars and can do it mentally and more. Granted Im not a physical fit person, but everything else I can and could handle better then the ones that "lost" it trying to be one of the ones to go.

[@mizzshortie907]

Right? I’m right there with you. I’m very used to crappier conditions then they are being offered and I have to work my butt off to pay for mine. I’d gladly go

[@user-ol7dk3uq2q]

Damn the future looks crazy!. They can simulate anything… except the gravity difference. Right?.

[@SigmaFridge]

Damn the future looks crazy!

[@justin10595]

as every single spaceship would ever tell you you probably should take an engineer of some kind that actually knows how to fix stuff and not just a desk engineer so that if you have a problem you don't have a bunch of people who've never fixed me thing in their lives panicking and trying to fix something on the fly

[@eadweard.]

Barely coherent rambling.

[@justin10595]

@@eadweard. Must not have very high comprehension skills

[@eadweard.]

@@justin10595 That indeed is one possibility.

[@rubipulido-vr5pd]

Did I just find another Simon Whistler channel?! I thought I knew them all 😂

[@The_Silver_Lurker]

I don't know what's more unhinged. This or Brain Blaze

[@barrydysert2974]

Aspen, Simon in Vader's Tie Fighter is brilliant !:-)

[@5812345678]

Sounds amazing. Beam me up Scotty.

[@damienirvin777]

There's an NCIS episode involving this, it's pretty neat.

[@Istandby666]

Solitary confinement is all a person needs. All a home needs is a bathroom, a kitchen, and a bedroom. Most people spend most of their time in the kitchen. So, yes a kitchen would be a bit bigger. To make the 3D print better, would be to use a Japanese bedroom style. Simular to a bunk in a submarine.

[@mrzoinky5999]

Don't need thin walls and paper doors - the men would want privacy jerking off. Very few things relieve stress like that.

[@anonymousrex5207]

They should just send the astronauts with a digital library of all of Simons videos... plenty of entertainment that would easily last the entire length of the mission and beyond.

[@vader1a]

2:45 but twice the size of a standard british house lol

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:45 - Chapter 1 - The habitat 4:35 - Chapter 2 - The crew and their mission 7:35 - Chapter 3 - Earth isn't mars

[@onemorechris]

if you want more on this, there was a super detailed podcast by Gimlet called The Habitat all about it.

[@klocugh12]

0:57 haha love it 😁

[@roxstar5088]

With Elon's plan to put millions of people on Mars, I do think such a program should be necessity for everyone going as a test. First go through a simulation to see if you can handle it for X amount of months before stepping on one of those starships of his and find halfway there that you are really not up to the task.

[@Deathannihilator]

Elon is a fraud, so that will never happen.

[@mizzshortie907]

Exactly

[@jaydephoenix8712]

More accurate simulation: High altitude air drop of equipment and personnel over the central land mass of Antarctica.

[@NicholasNerios]

Sounds fun, mars training camp.

[@srdxxx]

okay, Anca Selariu is from Romania. I kept hearing Morania.

[@duncancurtis5971]

Spaceman Simon already has a secret lair on Mars made out of petrified toffees.😂😂

[@golferorb]

I would need at least a million dollars to do this.

[@jhedges8301]

I wonder what the minimum number of individuals (MNI) it would take to reduce the effects of isolation to a negligible level. 4 people is a small crew. If the MNI is somewhere around 12, building a larger habitat and sending 3 ships might be the safer option. With a crew that size, its easier to duplicate specialties which reduces the risk of losing a critical job role in the event of a death or incapacitation. Source: read lots of scifi.

[@twinphalanx4465]

Yeah but that costs a LOT more green paper unfortunately

[@QBCPerdition]

​@twinphalanx4465 but less than 3 times as much. Economies of scale start to take over. So yeah, it will cost more, it is still the more efficient option on a cost per person, and as stated, makes a positive outcome far more likely.

[@twinphalanx4465]

@@QBCPerdition oh you aren't wrong m8 I'm not disagreeing

[@thegreenbean5891]

I could imagine myself after a few months suspecting the onboard AI of trying to kill me while i'm on the vacuum toilet! That guy hated me from the off.

[@Istandby666]

Such problems could arise is correct. We only have to look back towards Biosphere 2.

[@alexanderchapman8728]

How many channels do you have Simon

[@car103d]

00:21 the lander looks like the Eagle of Space 1999

[@mrzoinky5999]

With some changes - I do believe that lander configuration would be ideal; unloading heavy equipment would be much better than going down stairs or relying on a long elevator drop. I think the Eagle was actually very well thought out - sort of like a potential Skycrane dropping off different modules.

[@car103d]

@@mrzoinky5999 Brian Johnson made a good design after 2001 a space odyssey, but I am afraid we need efficient and safe nuclear propulsion before any manned Mars missions. (Hopefully not dangerous like the Queller drive… ;)

[@Ssgt02]

It'll be fine as long as they don't send Danny Stevens. On that note, I want season 4 already

[@marshallrobinson1019]

How about we build a series of way stations until our technology advances? It's how we've expanded civilization for thousands of years

[@nh5267]

How much electricity does it use to build one house?

[@Istandby666]

Of course that date will be pushed back. Companies were talking about going to Mars in the early 20's, not going to happen.

[@beanbean78]

If going over a year without a shower is a thing then the French would be perfect for this mission

[@Cara-39]

🙄

[@katcaparula7898]

I thought we couldn't get thru the van Allen belt or something like that.

[@eadweard.]

We can.

[@christiaanvorster1988]

How about a video explaining why oxygen and other gasses use cylinders and not some other shape.

[@mrzoinky5999]

Ease of carrying and storing.

[@ourempire13]

NASA watched biodome high again

[@keeperofthegood]

Too bad this will never happen on MARS :/ let me know when they do a real vertical habitat.

[@grimwatcher]

Is disposing of a body via airlock technically burial at sea since maritime laws apply in space?

[@sad8ify]

I'm an officer on a cruise ship. I have crew members who are on board for 11 months at a time. Why doesn't NASA ask them about this stuff?

[@memo_b_random1978]

Viva Los Bio-Dome

[@Sinful_morality]

So you're telling me astroneer could be real one day? Sick

[@reclawyxhush]

If NASA is seriously(?) planning to colonize Mars, the best rehearsal for that would probably be colonizing Antarctica.

[@FHNDRXX]

😂 hope one day they are looking for a normal person... THAT SMOKES 😂😂😂😂

[@lewisbrodnax7898]

No such mission or long- term space exploration can succeed without first construction of large scale rotating space station's that provides 1g of simulated gravity. For many reason's that may not seem obvious. One is that no long term colony will have all of the resources available for them to grow and prosper at any place that is not earth. The resources that are needed will come from many places,not just resupply rockets, and all of it will be best handled in orbit first. Also, large scale farming is not possible in a greenhouse on Mars. For that we will need something much more efficient to industrialized agriculture.

[@Dank-gb6jn]

Everyone knowing they’re volunteers is like knowing the final exam is pointless, so why bother trying?

[@MysteicVoltronus]

So that crew should have tossed the electrocution victim out of the habitat and locked the door to properly simulate that issue.

[@CharIie83]

send atlas bots to build the habitat

[@Derekzparty]

So basically house arrest with No internet, no uber eats, no amazon

[@antiisocial]

Coop

[@Kevan808]

So basically it's an experiment to see if it becomes a Lord of the Flies kinda thing?

[@robertfindley921]

Well, Ross, the more handsome guy, is going to be busy with the women. I hope Nathan doesn't get envious.

[@Iowa599]

Putting a body outside the airlock would be beneficial to science…

[@IntrigueJunkie]

Given that Nasa is flying a helicopter on Mars, getting there isn't the issue, trusting people though....

[@goontheracoon]

give them vr videogames.. give them games where they have to work together.. you cant struggle being in space when your running around in skyrim.

[@wowplayer160]

It's pronounced "ill-a-noy- not ill-a-noise"

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

"If humanity doesn't land on Mars in my lifetime, I would be very disappointed." -- Elon Musk

[@willowmoon7]

Oh no... Anyway.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

Also Elon Musk: Don't you EVER try to unionize you disgusting peons. How dare you try to improve your working conditions.

[@Cara-39]

Who cares?!

[@willowmoon7]

@@Cara-39 a certain south african man who has invested a lot of money in space travel

[@Cara-39]

@@willowmoon7 I meant who cares if he's disappointed. He's an insufferable, thin skinned, selfish ass that doesn't give a damn abt humanity, as evidenced by the way he treats his employees and colleagues and he's only interested in humanity getting to Mars if he's somehow involved. If someone else makes it happen, he'll act like a petulant child, just as he did during the attempts to rescue the Thai soccer team; when the British expert diver told him the submersible he donated wouldn't work in the narrow cave system, Musk went on Twitter and called the diver a pedophile.

[@shadowslayer9988]

Wait it would take 7 months to reach Mar by spaceship what is the crew going to eat when they get to the red planet?

[@asylumental]

Can they film this experiment and turn it into a TV show? Like big brother or survivor.... Honestly I think this would be incredibly interesting, and sometimes entertaining

[@FlashmanVC]

Mars is a one way trip

[@dying2play517]

I would've done GREAT in that experiment. I spent 2 years in segregation at Clallam Bay Corrections Center during a 5 year sentence for a bank robbery about ten years ago. I mainly did my Artwork, read a lot and did 3 hour workout routines. 1300 burpies 3x a week. Kept my head straight most the time. First 6 months is the worst, but you eventually just adapt to it. Some ppl break down, and sleep all day. But staying busy, keeps you going. Not everyone is made the same. I wonder if they paid em, lol.

[@Russo-Delenda-Est]

We can test isolation and stress and such all we want, but with MONTHS of travel there AND back in zero g, and very light Martian gravity, we can't test their bodies degradation. Until we make some massive advances in medicine this just isn't possible, a few months in the space station will damage your body terribly, a few years in space and on low grav worlds might just be a death sentence.

[@patrickw9520]

Mars habitat.... need to focus more on just getting there. Need a orbital research platform, put a crew in it for 6 months, simulated delays, blackouts, no resupply unless they have a supply rendezvous.

[@Cara-39]

A multi-nation project without Americans?!? Doesn't the UN charter forbid this type of crime against humanity??

[@eadweard.]

Cannot tell what you are trying to say.

[@Nevertook]

They need to have the ability to watch and chat with Twitch.

[@Nevertook]

20 min delay live stream on Twitch will fucking dominate.

[@Nevertook]

Funding sorted.

[@julioguardado]

Hey, I've got an idea. Make them compete in challenges to earn cash and food. Stress them out. Put it on TV as a reality show.

[@daveaunkst8005]

So why not send convicts? How is that different than a 15yr sentence? Or solitary confinement?

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

I enjoy this channel and hope it doesn't go the way of Xplrd, still the saddest stillborn channel of the Whistlerverse.

[@astrophysicistguy]

As a former NASA Space Shuttle astronaut instructor and contributor to NASA’s mars Exploration Office - my 2nd M.S. Thesis was on selecting drilling sites on mars for robotic missions to search for subterranean water - I am depressing familiar with NASA’s so called plans to go to Mars. My research was part of the office’s 700 pg report which i did in 1989 - that’s not a typo. Unfortunately NASA will NEVER get humans to Mars for the simple reason that they are not actually in control of the space agenda for the country. The VP of the U.S. is typically designed by the President as the one who manages space policy & what direction NASDA goes. And since the VP hangs around at best for 8 years we get a continual revolving door for NADSA’s direction which in and of itself wouldn’t be that catastrophic except that going to Mars is hard and you need to stay focused and funded for 154-20 yrs without interruption. This is why I’m Elon Musk’s biggest supporter. He is literally humanity’s only hope to get to Mars since he doesn’t need anyone’s permission. No gov’t will ever get us there …

[@schlettyb1]

Totally easy. Just get any US sailor who's spent 2-4 years on a destroyer or aircraft carrier. The only private space is your bunk, which is the size of a single bed, and you can't sit up. You see the same faces every day. You only get news of the outside world my packages or letter. We didn't have fresh fruit or veggies but every so often. Water was heavily rationed. Going out on deck was the great escape from the rest of humanity. You burred yourself in your tasks and spent a lot of time at the gym.

[@GummyBearWA]

What a waste. Cheaper and easier to send robots. How do you 3D print a building without sending the printer and crew to run it first?

[@eadweard.]

Self-important bloviating.

[@Unpretzel81]

Ha. Simon thinks we walked on the moon.

[@eadweard.]

I think we did, didn't we?

[@p_campbell]

Are the microbiologist and the biomedical research scientist not a redundant classification?

[@imperious-monkey]

Send robots 🤖 Problem solved.

[@davidmccarthy6061]

Waste of time and money until we've spent a decade living on the moon and learning how to live on another surface.

[@moritakaishida7963]

You know what else is a waste of money The millitary budget, which is much higher in one year than any money NASA has spent in 5

[@olencone4005]

These simulations aren't so much about learning how to live on another planetary surface, they're more about studying human psychology and making sure we CAN live in a confined and isolated environment on another planet without going gonzo and either becoming a burden to everyone or just offing the rest of the crew, like in some cheesy Hollywood B-movie.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

I actually agree is this point but for a different reason technology on how to keep yourself entertained when we actually are ready for a Mars launch will be night and day I mean for starters VR holodeck, AI everything, screens simulating every environment. Also custom GMO plants and cell cultured meat to cover a wide range of tastes people laugh at how primitive this test will be.

[@clayongunzelle9555]

The only way to a mission to Mars is gonna work is if the astronauts get their freak on while out there....

[@shadowslayer9988]

I mean it does take 7 months to reach Mars by spaceship.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Unless this has a VR holdeck and all the movies/media/video games that exist. It will not be a accurate test because we already have a massive amount of entertainment content that is extremely portable. This seems so far to be a primitives test and not reflected of technology of 2030.

[@Jon6429]

Limited medical cover, rationed power & resources, bad food, cramped living conditions, isolation, depression, no spare parts for anything and neighbors as mentally unstable as you are. Just like being unemployed.

[@australien6611]

Im yet to hear even one valid reason for living on mars. Just one?

[@PrinceAlhorian]

It's far away from humanity and it's shit

[@leighpowell1062]

With all the time and money being spent on going to Mars, we could actually use that to look after our own planet. What's on earth, all the good things, what's on Mars, Matt Damons shit potatoes

[@australien6611]

Exactly, im yet to hear one valid reason for living on mars

[@anguswilliam2141]

@@australien6611 Rich people want to figure out how to mine it for resources. Everything else is hippie crap.

[@australien6611]

@@anguswilliam2141 resources? All i see is a shitload of rocks and dust 🤔 i reckon youre right about the rich people but i think its just a penis measuring contest between billionaires and governments.

[@geraldstiling3735]

Then an 👽 alien got on board and killed every one , except Ripley👧🏻 and Jones the 🐈

[@DefinitelyNotJeffDee]

Wow those tiktok edits are very obnoxious, I'm unfortunately the Target audience for space stuff.