Russia Begins Mock Mars Mission Experiment

MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) – The funding of Russia’s mock Mars mission experiment, Mars-500, is to begin in March, 2005, the Federal Space Agency said in a press release.

Space researchers and participants in the experiment will simulate a 500-day manned mission to Mars in a mock space station, to be assembled on Earth, the press release quotes Roskosmos chief Anatoly Perminov as saying.

Six men, possibly from different countries, will see how humans will react to conditions imitating a long flight to Mars.

“The volunteers will enter a special module next year and will remain there for 500 days, going through all hardships of a long flight to the Red Planet. Many researchers argue that a long stay in outer space may negatively affect humans, causing muscle, bone, immunity and psychological disorders. The experiment will help find answers to all of these questioned,” the press release says.