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There is talk in the scientific community of a manned Mars mission: sending an elderly couple to slingshot past Mars and return to Earth as a trial mission, toward eventual other missions that will land there in the future. The mission would last around 300 days.

What would be the halachic challenges that the couple could face on a day-to-day basis? (This question doesn't ask whether space exploration/travel is halachically desirable.)

msh210
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bondonk
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  • I assume you mean challenges that are unique to space travel (meaning kosher food is not the answer you are looking for). – Double AA Aug 21 '13 at 22:29
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    Good thing they are elderly or Mikva would be a big problem. – Double AA Aug 21 '13 at 22:30
  • @DoubleAA see http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/26921/can-i-make-a-mikvah-using-artificial-rain – ertert3terte Aug 21 '13 at 22:40
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    Perhaps kosher food would be a problem. Space food often consists of powdered food that needs hydration. It may not be possible, for health reasons, to provide a balanced diet using novel space food storage techniques. I don't know! – bondonk Aug 21 '13 at 23:01
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    I know there are disagreements over how often you would need to pray in space. This could cause problems, especially since you would be required to keep to an exercise regime when on board. Chagim? – bondonk Aug 21 '13 at 23:03
  • Davening,sefirah,sukkos,kiddush levanah... – sam Aug 21 '13 at 23:25
  • @sam wow kiddush levanah is a interesting point – Math chiller Aug 22 '13 at 01:58
  • Rav Menashe Klein has a tshuvah on saying kiddush kevanah on the moon. Mishneh Halachos 6:259 – sam Aug 22 '13 at 02:14
  • But does one say כשם שאני רוקד... – sam Aug 22 '13 at 02:27
  • What about a minyan for kaddish? – Charles Koppelman Aug 22 '13 at 02:54
  • Why kaddish and not minyan? – sam Aug 22 '13 at 02:56
  • @Shmuel Who cares? Where would you keep the water that is Karka? – Double AA Aug 22 '13 at 03:41
  • @DoubleAA true, they're not landing – ertert3terte Aug 22 '13 at 03:51
  • related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/9250/when-does-somebody-living-in-space-e-g-iss-observe-shabbat – Charles Koppelman Aug 22 '13 at 04:11
  • you couldnt really wash your hands using a kli. what would be the beracha on placing your hands in a ball of 'floating' water when in orbit in space... – bondonk Aug 23 '13 at 00:10
  • @ShmuelBrin Jumping off what bondonk said, maybe a ball of water floating in space is considered Ashboren regarding Mikva. After all it isn't in a kli and it isn't flowing anywhere. – Double AA Nov 11 '13 at 03:48
  • @DoubleAA That's only if water can be made de-Sheuvinized (the question there). If not, it won't help. On the other hand, if you have lots of airspace in the spacecraft (and natural air there), one can condense the water evaporated there into a blob of water that won't be sheuvim. That creates other interesting questions. – ertert3terte Nov 11 '13 at 05:20
  • P'ru urvu, hearing shofar, eating in a sukkah. Candles – SAH Sep 19 '17 at 21:35
  • Burning chometz, burning your fingernails, kaparos. On the other hand -- http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/the-editors-blog/space-wine-possible-far-far-away-371816/ – SAH Sep 19 '17 at 21:37
  • Voting to close as too broad, as per the extensive list cited here. – DonielF Mar 20 '19 at 00:19

1 Answers1

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This answer will focus just on those aspects which are unique to a Mars Mission, as those relating to any long-distance visit to a foreign locale have been dealt with elsewhere.

Travel in Space

Life on Mars

These questions can be summarized as follows: For those Halakhot which depend on astronomical \ planetary variables, do we follow Earth or local (Martian) values?

  • Calendar. A day on Mars is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Does one go based on the the Mars day or the Earth day?
    • If we do go by the Martian day, then Mars will fall behind at a rate of about 1 day per (Earth) month. The Martian calendar will need to be re-calculated (subtract one day per month, etc) to stay in sync with the Earth calendar.
  • Kiddush Levana. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. When would one say Kiddush Levana? Would one say it once per orbit for each of these moons, once per Martian "month" (which would probably be divorced from the lunar cycles), or follow the Earth tradition? Perhaps one wouldn't say Kiddush Levana at all.
  • Zmanim. Seems pretty straight-forward, as Halakhic time is based on location and length of daylight anyways.
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Shmuel
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    Wikified. Feel free to add. – Shmuel Apr 20 '14 at 23:24
  • I don't see why living on Mars you would go by the Martian moons for kiddish levana – bondonk Apr 23 '14 at 20:50
  • כל מצוה שהיא תלויה בארץ אינה נוהגת אלא בארץ; ושאינה תלויה בארץ נוהגת בין בארץ בין בחוצה לארץ Kiddushin 27, Mishna – Shmuel Apr 24 '14 at 01:08
  • @bondonk Because you can see their phases? – Double AA Apr 24 '14 at 03:55
  • @Shmuel haaretz is the land of israel not earth per se – bondonk Apr 24 '14 at 04:05
  • @bondonk - I'm aware of that, but it doesn't take too much creativity to extend that principle to other planets. – Shmuel Apr 24 '14 at 04:07
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    @Shmuel with creativity you could say that 'lo bashamayim he' means mitzvot don't apply on mars! Its difficult to deviate from the traditional understanding on the moon being ours but it could be. – bondonk Apr 24 '14 at 04:22