Russia Plans 500-Day Mock Mars Mission

The 500 Days experiment, under development by the Russian Institute of Medical and Biological Problems, will isolate human volunteers in a mock space station module for -- as its namesake suggests -- a complete 500 days to study how a long mission to Mars might affect its human crew...

During the 500 Days study, six volunteers will depend on a preset limit of supplies, including about 5 tons of food and oxygen and 3 tons of water. A doctor will accompany volunteers inside the module to treat illnesses and injuries. Volunteers will only be allowed to quit the experiment if the develop a severe ailment of psychological stress.

Sounds....vaguely familiar....

Polyakov told Interfax reporters that the 500 Days experiment will not include female volunteers.

Posted by T.L. James on October 12, 2004 08:28 PM