Advantages of All-Female Crews for Future Space Exploration Missions
Key Highlights :
A new study conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA) has suggested that women may have a particular advantage in space exploration than their male counterparts. The study suggests that future missions should be conducted with all-female crew members, as these crews may be more “efficient” for space missions. The study, published on May 5 in Scientific Reports, found that women astronauts would require less water to stay hydrated, expend less energy, need less oxygen and carbon dioxide, and produce less heat than their male colleagues. These differences would require less space to store the equipment needed for the astronauts to live, making the journey easier for engineers.
The study also found that all-female crews use less energy, even when engaging in the kind of exercise that astronauts do on the International Space Station. This is because women are generally lighter and use less oxygen when exercising. Furthermore, the fact that women tend to be smaller means that engineers would be able to build them smaller space habitat modules, providing another advantage. The study was theoretical and used already published data on female astronauts and physiological research.
The researchers conclude that “there may be a number of operational advantages to all-female crews during future human space exploration missions”. This includes the fact that women astronauts would require less water to stay hydrated, expend less energy, need less oxygen and carbon dioxide, and produce less heat than their male colleagues. Additionally, all-female crews use less energy, even when engaging in the kind of exercise that astronauts do on the International Space Station. The fact that women tend to be smaller also means that engineers would be able to build them smaller space habitat modules, providing another advantage.
The research has been published in a new paper titled ‘Effects of body size and countermeasure exercise on estimates of life support resources during all-female crewed exploration missions’, in Scientific Reports. The study provides evidence that all-female crews may be more efficient for future space missions, and suggests that future missions should be conducted with all-female crew members in order to take advantage of these operational advantages.
