Mars: Send In The Clowns!

NASA may be looking for a very specific type of personality to send into space – a comedian.

The first manned mission to Mars will be astoundingly tough, with multiple challenges awaiting those brave souls that will make the space journey to the fourth planet in our Solar System.

It will be the farthest that humans have ever travelled by an estimated 54.2 million kilometers. Astronauts will face the risk of enduring incredible amounts of cosmic radiation, as well as the possibility of crash-landing on the surface of the red planet when they finally arrive.

NASA has found that space isolation – and the reality of being stuck in a small spaceship for over a year with limited contact with Earth – could negatively affect the productivity of astronauts on the mission.

In order to combat this, crew members will be selected on the basis of specific, mission-critical skills – team morale being a high priority.

NASA advisor, Professor Jeffrey Johnson, said: “[Class clowns] are people that have the ability to pull everyone together, bridge gaps when tensions appear and really boost morale.”

Johnson found that jokers can also act as peace-brokers when needed, and can help people bond, making teams work more smoothly.