University of Zurich

Ten Months of Polar Night, 12 Crew Members, and a Result That Undercuts Mars Assumptions

Research conducted at Antarctica's Concordia Station during a ten-month overwintering period found that increased social interaction among 12 crew members correlated with rising conflict and diminished performance, challenging the assumption that companionship always fixes loneliness. The study utilized proximity sensors to objectively track interactions, revealing that prolonged closeness in confined environments can become a stressor and that crew members tended to cluster by language or nationality, potentially fostering social divides. These findings have implications for planning long-duration space missions to Mars and the Moon, highlighting the psychological weight of habitat design and crew scheduling over traditional team-building.