I don't think the bare minimum of people creating a self-sustaining population can afford to be monogamous. Though it doesn't take many generations before that can start, 2nd gen might even be able to, assuming 1st gen has enough kids.
I was wondering the same thing before reading the article.
This is for a 28 year mission, and doesn't include setting up the base, or power and water supply.
Does playing RimWorld count as running a simulation? Cause managing 22 people is too much trouble, unless a few might just be there in case the crops don't do well.
Iirc, the Matrix used that same number for determining how many humans to leave alive outside of the matrix so that the community wound be self-sustaining before they were able to ramp up breaking people out again.