10 days in complete isolation. In Astana, Kazakhstan has completed its first-ever scientific experiment to train an all-female space crew, SANA-1. The participants lived inside a specially designed spacecraft simulator that recreated the conditions of a long-duration space mission. Inside the sealed capsule, everything resembled an orbital station — an autonomous water supply system, climate control, and a small section with plants. The command center was equipped with workstations for the women engineers and researchers, flight control simulators, and systems for developing mission scenarios.
«There was no fear, just a new environment and unfamiliar people. But after two or three days, that all faded away, leaving only the work: staying motivated and completing our assigned tasks. We underwent various tests to assess memory, speed, and attention, and also monitored our brain activity,» said experiment participant Darya Komarova.
The crew underwent a series of medical and psychological tests. Researchers conducted behavioral experiments with the participants and evaluated the capsule's engineering systems. Special attention was given to stress resilience, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility under conditions of isolation and monotony. Preliminary analysis showed at the beginning of the experiment, the participants demonstrated high levels of activity and enthusiasm. However, after several days, they began to experience anxiety and apathy - and it was communication that helped them cope.
«Ten days is a relatively short period — especially compared to other experiments such as Mars-500 or Sirius. Nevertheless, we were able to observe the entire process of adaptation to isolation. A comprehensive analysis will be carried out in the coming weeks,» said lead scientist of the experiment Alina Gutoreva.
The results of the experiment will form the foundation
for a national astronaut training program - including female astronauts - and
for developing methods to strengthen stress resilience and design capsules for
long-duration interplanetary missions. Projects like this mark the beginning of
a new era in the nation’s space exploration.
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