The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently looking for volunteers to participate in a simulated 520-day Mars mission, including a 30-day stay on the surface of the planet. The participants will actually be living in a sealed facility in Moscow, Russia, to test medical and psychological aspects that a long-duration space mission would present.
This Mars mission is part of the Mars500 program that the ESA and Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) are conducting to study the human capabilities in future Moon and Mars missions.
Back in July of this year the ESA conducted a successful 105-day study of the same nature and are now ready for the longer study to take place in mid-2010 after a four-month training period.
ESA is looking for two candidates and two back-ups, which will follow a program simulating a 250-day journey to Mars, a 30-day stay on the planet and a 240-day trip back to Earth. For the 30-day planet exploration phase, half the candidate crew will move to a Martian simulation facility module and be closed off to the rest of the facility.
The candidates should be 20-50 years of age to be considered, must be motivated and in good health. They should be no more than 185 cm in height and be able to speak English and/or Russian. Participants should also have experience in medicine, biology, life support systems engineering, computer engineering electronic engineering or mechanical engineering.
Selecting of the candidates will be based on their education, medical fitness, experience and social behavior. They will go through an assessment and be required to submit medical test results before being asked to come in for an interview. The screening is similar to that used in selecting real astronauts.
Candidates must be residents and nationals of ESA Member States participating in the European Programme for Life and Physical Sciences (ELIPS), which include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, Sweden and Canada.
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