To Mars, via tin can

The Mars 500 experiment's first phase ends

Not many adventures promise to take you to Mars – well, pretend that they take you to Mars. The Russian space agency RosKosmos, allied with European Space Agency, have just finished a 105-day isolation experiment at the headquarters in Moscow that does just that.

Dubbed ‘Mars 500’ – the length of time it would take to actually get to the red planet and back – the next phase of the programme will be a full-duration version, where six international crew will be sealed inside the steel cylinders of the fake spaceship and treated just as if they were on their way.

It’s really an experiment in psychology – what kind of stresses will the first pioneers be going through? What type of people should go to Mars?

From the smiles of the crew at the attendant press conference, stress levels didn’t seem too high after  their ordeal. "The level of understanding and motivation of the crew was perfect from my point of view as commander," Russian cosmonaut and scientist Sergei Ryazansky told reporters.