I can't imagine why I'd want to hibernate in winter. Summer, now, that would be useful.
Some interesting comments about the benefits of hibernation for space travel, other than astronauts needing less food :
One of the most annoying things for astronauts in space stations is they have to do physical exercise for 6 hours a day," says Henning. Otherwise, their muscles and bones atrophy. But exercise in space is unpleasant, thanks to temperatures above 30 °C and air thick with carbon dioxide. If astronauts could hibernate, they would not have to do it. "Hibernators that lay down half a year do not suffer from any muscle waste or osteoporosis," says Henning.
"There are reports that hibernators are protected from radiation damage, and this is really a big issue in space," says Henning. At the moment people can only stay in space for about a yea: beyond that, the radiation damage starts to significantly increase their risk of cancer. "If you were to hibernate people and they were to be protected, this would enable much longer missions," says Henning.
It might also help with long-term colonisation. "In reality, it is not possible to have children in space, [because] eggs and sperm will be damaged so much that you will never get proper offspring."
I'm guessing this last one refers to radiation damage ?
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20151203-here-are-all-the-reasons-you-cant-hibernate-in-winter
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