ESA looking for volunteers for Mars mission simulation

European space agency ESA is looking for two volunteers and two backup candidates for a simulated 520-day round-trip to Mars. The programme is designed for an international crew of six, after a four month training they will be subjected to a 250-day journey to Mars, a 30-day stay on the surface of Mars and 240 days travelling back to Earth. More info at PhysOrg.

Starting in 2010, an international crew of six will simulate a 520-day round-trip to Mars, including a 30-day stay on the martian surface. In reality, they will live and work in a sealed facility in Moscow, Russia, to investigate the psychological and medical aspects of a long-duration space mission. ESA is looking for European volunteers to take part.

The ‘mission’ is part of the Mars500 programme being conducted by ESA and Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) to study human psychological, medical and physical capabilities and limitations in space through fundamental and operational research. ESA’s Directorate of Human Spaceflight is undertaking Mars500 as part of its European Programme for Life and Physical Sciences (ELIPS) to prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.