Scientists calculate minimum number of astronauts needed to build and maintain Mars colony

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Only about two dozen astronauts are enough to build and maintain a Mars colony, according to a new study, which suggests this low number – compared to previous estimates of about 100 people – can sustain a habitat on the Red Planet. For the analysis, scientists analysed previous data on high performing teams working in isolated and high stress environments such as submarines, Arctic exploration, and the international space station to model the kinds of interactions taking place between agents with four different psychological profiles. Using the model, researchers simulated survival of a human habitat on Mars under different working conditions, including when global events such as accidents or delays in Earth resupply, affect the colony. Five runs of the model for a period lasting 28 years with the initial population sizes in the simulation ranging from 10 to 170 found that “an initial population of 22 was the minimum required to maintain a viable colony size over the long run.” Researchers also found that the “agreeable” personality type, associated with overall greater empathy, was the one more likely to survive while those with the “neurotic” psychology died at a much higher rate.