Borrowing a page from classic science fiction stories, NASA is considering the use of a deep sleep process for crews to travel to Mars in stasis, according to Discovery News.
The long travel time to get to Mars would demand a high number of resources, and putting the crew in deep sleep for all or some of the trip would cut down on costs and resources needed for each trip. Research backed in part by NASA shows this to be a promising solution.
It may sound futuristic and innovative, but it wouldn’t necessarily be pleasant. The process would use the RhinoChill System, which is essentially a way for humans to inhale coolant through their nose. It’s not very comfortable, but it’s a more effective method of gradually cooling the body temperature from the inside. This system lowers body temperature by one degree per hour. After about six hours, the crew member’s temperature would dip to 89 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point they would reach a torpor state, or deep sleep, for the long trip to Mars.