In a fight for gender equality, bias in the media and scientific progress, a Russian all-female team starts a moon mission simulation for the preparation of future projects in outer space.
- The first Russian woman to go to space was Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963
- Since then, Russia sent only 4 more women to space
- The team of 6 all-female members will be in a simulated environment for 8 days
- They will be given 30 logical tests, tasks, and observed
The group of six Russian ladies will be spending 8 days in a wood paneled container meant to simulate the conditions of going to the moon and back. Because, according to professor Igor Mitrofanov, from the Space Research Institute in Moscow, “we need to go to the moon”, and it’s an inevitable progress of the 21st century.
The space agency plans a manned mission to Earth’s natural satellite for 2029, but they first have to test the potential implications of including women. Russia has been severely lacking on the number of female astronauts they sent into space. Valentina Tereshkova was the first Russian woman to break through the bounds of our planet in 1963. This was 2 years after Yuri Gagarin’s excursion.
Since then, the Soviet Union has sent only a number of four ladies into space. The new simulation and experiment now aims to “test the psychology and physiology of the female organism”. Furthermore, they want to see how the women fare in a closed environment, without men or makeup, and how they get along. This was second to questioning the scientific implications.
The six ladies that will be taking part in the simulation have been carefully picked from a number of ten possible contestants. They all have considerable experience and expertise in pharmaceuticals or biophysics, and will observed how they handle various assignments. All conditions and tasks will be the same posed to all-male teams of astronauts.
The women were questioned on how they would fare without daily necessities, such as proper ways to wash, as they would be in close quarters and should expect mentally exhausting work. It will also take an excellent amount of cooperation. According to Sergei Ponomarev, it will be “an enthusiasm” to see how they perform and act within their mission.
However, participant Darya Komissarova countered that they are “very lovely without makeup”, and it will not hinder upon their performance. The ladies have been calling out for gender bias in the media, and will be aiming to thwart sexist implications by proving they will fare just as well as men.
As stated by Komissarova, while working “you don’t think about men and women”. All that matters is the task at hand.
Image source: imart.co.jp
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