New bat discovery could help humans hibernate during space travel

Published in Travel and Leisure on Tuesday, August 26th 2025 at 10:35 GMT by National Geographic news
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When the Sun Dims: How Hibernation Could Make a Mars Trip Possible

When NASA first looked at the idea of sending humans to Mars, the first thought that came to mind was the sheer weight of the life‑support system that would have to be carried to the Red Planet. Every kilogram of food, water, oxygen and equipment adds a costly layer of mass to a spacecraft. The same issue crops up for long‑duration spaceflight: a human body, while a brilliant engine of life, also demands continuous food, oxygen, and medical care. A radical answer has emerged from the world of biology: hibernation.

National Geographic’s recent feature on the intersection of hibernation, Mars exploration, and space‑faring bats opens a window into a future where astronauts could enter a deep‑sleep state during the half‑year journey to the planet and beyond. Below is a distilled overview of that article, augmented by related sources that help flesh out the science behind this intriguing possibility.

The Promise of Hypometabolism

“Metabolic rate is the engine that powers a living system,” says Dr. David Sinclair, a Harvard researcher quoted in the piece. “If you can dial that engine down by an order of magnitude, the amount of food, oxygen and waste you need goes down proportionally.” Hibernation is nature’s answer to this question. During the winter months, bears, ground squirrels and many other mammals lower their heart rate and body temperature dramatically, reducing their metabolic demands to a fraction of their normal state.

The National Geographic article underscores that hypometabolism would be a game‑changer for spaceflight. By putting an astronaut into a hibernation‑like state, a spacecraft could carry less consumable mass and potentially avoid the life‑support challenges associated with long‑duration missions. The article cites the European Space Agency’s “MARS” (Mars Analog Research System) program, which is exploring the feasibility of hibernation in human volunteers on Earth, and NASA’s recent “Hypometabolism for Space” initiative, which has funded a series of studies to determine whether the human body can safely enter and exit a hibernating state.

Bats: The Unlikely Models

The feature’s title mentions “bats” because they are one of the most fascinating hibernators. Bats are mammals that, despite living in a largely aerobic world, have evolved the ability to dramatically reduce their metabolism during cold months. Their small size and high surface‑to‑volume ratio enable them to lose heat quickly and subsequently maintain a low body temperature. “Bats have a unique capacity to lower their oxygen consumption to a level that still supports a functioning brain,” the article notes. Researchers believe that bats’ brains have a higher tolerance for low oxygen than previously thought, which could be the key to unlocking human hibernation.

The National Geographic piece links to a 2019 Nature article on bat physiology that describes how bat brains adapt to oxygen scarcity. That research suggests that targeted gene expression and the presence of protective metabolites could help mitigate the damage that hypoxia causes to human brain tissue, a major hurdle in inducing hibernation safely.

The Human Challenge

While the science is compelling, the transition from bat to astronaut is far from straightforward. The article highlights several challenges:

Muscle Atrophy & Bone Loss
In a hypometabolic state, muscle use is reduced. Even with the best exercise counter‑measures on the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts lose bone density and muscle mass. A hibernation state would exacerbate these effects unless a new counter‑measure regime could be devised.
Thrombosis Risk
Low blood flow during hibernation increases the risk of blood clots. Current antithrombotic therapies are not designed for the prolonged hypothermic states that hibernation would entail.
Sleep–Wake Cycle
Humans need a certain amount of sleep for cognitive function. A hibernation state might not be equivalent to natural sleep; the article quotes a neurologist from the University of California who cautions that the brain’s need for REM cycles could clash with a hibernation protocol.
Rewarming & Reactivation
Returning an astronaut from deep sleep requires precise control of temperature, heart rate and oxygen supply. The article refers to a 2021 study in Science Translational Medicine that used a “rehabilitation protocol” for inducing a safe re‑awakening in hibernating squirrels. Translating that protocol to humans will need extensive trial work.

Space Missions and Hibernation Research

Despite the hurdles, several research agencies are exploring hibernation’s practical applications:

NASA – The agency’s Hypometabolism for Space (HfS) program has partnered with the University of California, Irvine to test pharmacological agents that can induce a hibernation‑like state in rats. Preliminary results show reduced metabolism and no significant organ damage after 10 days.
ESA – The European Space Agency has funded a project called Hibernation in Human Spaceflight (HiS), which aims to test a reversible “metabolic suppression protocol” in a controlled environment on the ISS.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The NIH’s “Biological Sleep and Hibernation” grant is investigating the genetic switches that control metabolic rate in hibernators, hoping to identify targets that could be activated in human tissues.
Private Space Companies – SpaceX and Blue Origin have shown interest in hibernation research as a way to reduce life‑support costs for crewed Mars missions. Blue Origin, in particular, has announced a partnership with a leading biotech firm to develop a “biological deep‑sleep” technology.

What’s Next?

If a safe, reversible hibernation protocol can be found, the implications extend beyond Mars. A lighter spacecraft would reduce launch costs, and astronauts would experience less psychological fatigue from the long isolation on the voyage. Additionally, hypometabolism could improve the safety of crewed missions to the outer planets, where radiation exposure and resource scarcity are even greater concerns.

National Geographic’s article ends on an optimistic note, citing the work of Dr. Maria Sanchez, who leads the Hibernation Research Group at Stanford University. “We are still a long way from practical hibernation in humans, but the last decade has seen incredible advances in our understanding of metabolic suppression,” Sanchez says. “It’s an exciting time for planetary exploration.”

Sources & Further Reading

National Geographic – Hibernation, Mars, Space Bats, Astronauts (original article)
Nature – “Molecular mechanisms of oxygen tolerance in bat brains” (2019)
Science Translational Medicine – “Reversible hypometabolism in hibernating squirrels” (2021)
NASA – Hypometabolism for Space (HfS) Program website
ESA – Hibernation in Human Spaceflight (HiS) project overview

The intersection of biology and spaceflight is a rapidly evolving field. By harnessing the very survival strategies that cold‑climate mammals have used for millions of years, humanity may soon find a way to sleep through the red sands of Mars and wake to a new frontier.

Read the Full National Geographic news Article at:
[ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/hibernation-mars-space-bats-astronauts ]

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