"Exploring the Possibility of Hibernation for Space Travel"

NASA and the European Space Agency are exploring the possibility of inducing a state of hibernation in astronauts during long space journeys to mitigate logistical, physical, and psychological problems. This could be achieved through therapeutic hypothermia, which reduces the body's demand for energy and oxygen. SpaceWorks Enterprises is developing the idea of placing astronauts in compact pods for a two-week stint of extended hibernation, followed by a couple of days of activity, and then going back into stasis again. Research is being done on how the body and brain would enter a state of torpor.