100 Days of Solitude – HUN-REN RCNS Researchers Take Part in the SOLIS100 Programme

The SOLIS (Study of Long-term ISolation) experiment began on 23 April 2026 at the German Aerospace Center's :envihab research facility in Cologne, where six volunteers moved into a sealed habitat for 100 days. Aged between 26 and 32 and drawn from six different European countries, the participants follow structured daily schedules designed to mirror the operational conditions of long-duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit. SOLIS100 aims to investigate the psychological, behavioural, cognitive and physiological effects of prolonged confinement and isolation — factors that can fundamentally affect human performance and mission success during future stays on the Moon or crewed journeys to Mars.

The involvement of the Environmental Adaptation and Space Research Group at HUN-REN RCNS's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology reflects the growing international recognition of Hungarian expertise in this field. The group contributes to the programme by analysing participants' written diaries and audio recordings, exploring how mental adaptation, emotional strain and group dynamics manifest in language use.

This work builds on solid foundations. Using comparable methods, the research group has previously studied the effects of isolation and confinement among overwintering crews at Antarctic research stations and has contributed to research connected with the Mars500 programme — one of the most prominent international ground-based simulations of a long-duration interplanetary mission. Drawing on this experience, the team is now developing an AI-based automated speech analysis system to track psychological adaptation in extreme environments.

ESA has noted that no single Earth-based model is sufficient to prepare for future human exploration missions: “bed rest” studies, “dry immersion” and isolation experiments together provide the knowledge needed for a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with long-duration spaceflight. The work of HUN-REN RCNS researchers forms part of this integrated approach. Their contribution is especially valuable because it goes beyond describing psychological processes in extreme environments — it captures them through the subtle patterns of human communication.

The significance of this work reaches far beyond the walls of a terrestrial laboratory. The data being gathered now may help ensure that future astronauts heading to the Moon — and eventually Mars — are prepared not only physically, but mentally as well. Once again, a Hungarian research team from HUN-REN is helping to make that possible.