- MARS-500
-
A 3D plan of the experimental complex, including the mock-up of the Martian surface (the brown module).
Mars-500 was an international multi-part isolation experiment simulating a manned flight to Mars. The experiment's facility was located at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow, Russia. A total of 640 experiment days were scheduled between 2007 and 2011, divided into three stages. During each stage, the crew of volunteers lived and worked in a mockup spacecraft. Communication with the outside world was limited, and was conducted with a realistic time delay of up to 25 minutes, to simulate the real-life communications lag between Mars and Earth. Similarly, a realistically limited supply of on-board consumables was provided for the volunteers.[1] Although some conditions, such as weightlessness and cosmic radiation, could not be simulated, the experiment was intended to yield valuable psychological and medical data on the effects of long-term isolation. The experiment also permitted the study of the technical challenges of long-distance spaceflight, such as communications lag and resource rationing.
The final, 520-day stage of the experiment, which was intended to simulate a full-length manned mission, ended on 4 November 2011.[2] This stage was conducted by a six-man international crew, consisting of three Russians, two EU citizens and a Chinese citizen.[2] The stage included a simulation of a manned Mars landing, with three simulated Mars-walks carried out on 14, 18 and 22 February 2011.[3][4] The experiment ended with all the participants reportedly in optimal physical and psychological shape.[2]
Contents
Antecedent
An experiment called SFINCSS-99, conducted by the same institute, began on 3 December 1999 and lasted 110 days.[5]
Experiment stages
The Mars-500 project logoThe first fifteen-day stage of the Mars-500 experiment took place from 15 November 2007 to 27 November 2007.[6] The purpose of this stage was to test the technical equipment, facilities, and operating procedures for the voyage.[7]
The second, 105-day stage of the Mars-500 experiment began on 31 March 2009 when six volunteers started living in the experiment's isolated living complex.[8] On 14 July 2009, this stage of experiment was completed.
The third and longest stage of the experiment, intended to simulate a complete 520-day mission to Mars, began on 3 June 2010 and ended on 4 November 2011.[9][2]
Scientific objectives
The experiment was designed to allow:[10]
- Organization of the activity of the crew and its communication with the ground-based control center regarding peculiarities typical for the Martian flight
- Verification of the methods and means of control and monitoring of the habitat during lengthy crew stays in confined and pressurized conditions
- Simulation of the activity of the crew on the surface of Mars and operations during the flight
- Verification of the methods and means of control, diagnostics and forecast of the state of health and working capacity, improvement of means of providing of medical help and prophylaxis
- Creation of reference-information system, providing activity of the crew, keeping and transfer of electronic information
- Approbation of methods and autonomous means of psychological support, using the sociomapping method
Facility
A labelled diagram of the experimental isolation facility.The experiment facility was located on the Institute of Biomedical Problems' site in Moscow. The complex consisted of the isolation facility, the mission operations room, technical facilities, and offices.
The isolation facility consisted of five different modules. Three of the modules – the habitat, utility, and medical modules – simulated the main spacecraft. The fourth module simulated the Martian-lander ship and was connected to the main spacecraft. The fifth module was a simulator of the Martian surface, and is connected to the Martian-lander. The combined volume of the modules was 550 m3 (19,000 cu ft).
The facility included all the necessary equipment for running the experiment. These included communications and control systems, ventilation systems, air and water supplies, electrical installations, sewage systems, air and water quality monitoring and partial recycling systems, medical equipment, fire and other safety monitoring systems, and emergency equipment. The modules were maintained at Earth-normal barometric pressure.[11]
Habitable module
The habitable module was the main living quarters for the crew. The cylindrical 3.6 × 20 m (12 × 66 ft) module consisted of six individual crew compartments, a kitchen/dining room, a living room, the main control room, and a toilet. The individual bedroom compartments, which had an area of approximately 3 m2 (32 sq ft) each, contained a bed, a desk, a chair and shelves for personal belongings.[12]
Medical module
Plan of the experimental complex.The cylindrical medical module measured 3.2 × 11.9 m (10 × 39 ft) and housed two medical berths, a toilet, and equipment for routine medical examinations. It also contained equipment for telemedical, laboratory, and diagnostic investigations. If a crew-member had become ill, they would have been isolated and treated in the module.[11]
Mars landing module simulator
The Mars landing module simulator was only used during the 30-day "Mars-orbiting" phase of the experiment. The 6.3 × 6.17 m (21 × 20.2 ft) cylindrical module accommodated up to three crew members, and had three bunk beds, two workstations and a toilet. Its ancillary systems included a control and data collection system, a video control and communications system, a gas analysis system, an air-conditioning and ventilation system, a sewage system and water supply, and a fire-suppression system.[11]
Storage module
The cylindrical 3.9 × 24 m (13 × 79 ft) storage module was divided into four compartments:[11]
- A refrigerated compartment for food storage
- A compartment for storage of non-perishable food
- An experimental greenhouse
- A compartment containing a bathroom, sauna, and gym
Crew
Advertised volunteer requirements
The MARS-500 project posted a number of basic requirements for any potential candidates. These are listed below.
- Age: 25–50 years old
- Higher education
- Professional requirements:
- general practitioner having skills of first medical aid
- physician-investigator having skills of clinical laboratory diagnostics
- biologist
- engineer – specialist in life support systems
- engineer – specialist in computer science
- engineer – specialist in electronics
- engineer – mechanic
- Language skills: knowledge of the Russian and English languages at a professional level
Crew of the first stage
The crew of the first 15-day stage of the isolation experiment was composed of six Russians: five men and a woman.[13] This stage of the experiment was conducted in November 2007.
- Anton Artamonov (born 1982), engineer, physicist and programmer
- Oleg Artemyev (born 1970), engineer and cosmonaut
- Alexander Kovalev (born 1982), engineer employed by IBMP's telemedicine laboratory
- Dmitry Perfilov (born 1975), anesthesiologist employed by IBMP's telemedicine laboratory
- Sergei Ryazan (born 1974), crew commander, physiologist and cosmonaut
- Marina Tugusheva (born 1983), biologist, IBMP researcher
Marina Tugusheva, the only woman of the crew, was excluded from the longer missions, to prevent sexual tension from jeopardising the mission.[14]
Crew of the second stage
The 105-day second stage involved a crew of six members, and ended on 14 July 2009.[15]
- Oleg Artemyev, Russian cosmonaut
- Alexei Baranov, Russian medical doctor
- Cyrille Fournier, French airline pilot
- Oliver Knickel, mechanical engineer in the German Army
- Sergei Ryazansky (commander), Russian cosmonaut
- Alexei Shpakov, Russian sports physiologist
Crew of the third stage
More than 6,000 people from 40 countries applied for the 520-day third stage of the experiment.[16] The selected volunteers were three Russians, two Europeans and one Chinese.[17] They had a varying command of English, but not all spoke Russian.[18]
- Romain Charles, 31-year-old French engineer.[19]
- Sukhrob Rustamovich Kamolov (Сухроб Рустамович Камолов), Russian surgeon[16][20]
- Alexey Sergeyevich Sitev (Алексей Сергеевич Ситёв), Russian engineer[16] and commander of the mission[21]
- Alexandr Egorovich Smoleevskiy (Александр Егорович Смолеевский), Russian physiologist[16][21]
- Diego Urbina, 27-year-old Italian-Colombian engineer[17]
- Wang Yue (王跃), 27-year-old Chinese instructor at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center[20][22]
The other member of the crew, a replacement, was Mikhail Sinelnikov (Михаил Олегович Синельников), a 37-year-old Russian engineer.[16] The mission started on 3 June 2010[23] and concluded on 4 November 2011, whereupon the participants entered a four-day quarantine before leaving the facility.[24][2]
See also
References
- ^ "ESA – Mars500 – Mars500: study overview". Esa.int. 21 May 2010. http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Mars500/SEM7W9XX3RF_0.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- ^ a b c d e "Simulated Mars mission 'lands' back on Earth". BBC, 4 November 2011.
- ^ Mars-500: a second walk. Roscosmos (in Russian), 18 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ "Marsonauts" started a third walk on the "surface" of the Red Planet. RIAN (in Russian), 22 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ James Oberg, The Real World, Moscow-Style
- ^ "Russia continues flight simulation experiments for Mars-500 | Science | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. 6 January 2010. http://en.rian.ru/science/20080415/105147733.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- ^ "Mars500 quick facts". European Space Agency. 21 May 2010. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars500/SEMGX9U889G_0.html. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
- ^ Staying Put on Earth, Taking a Step to Mars, by Michael Schwirtz, NYPost, 30 March 2009
- ^ Kelly, Jon (1 June 2010). "A space odyssey of the mind". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8711216.stm. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10197470.stm - ^ "The main purpose of 520-day isolation". http://mars500.imbp.ru/en/520_about.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- ^ a b c d "ESA – Mars500 – The isolation facility". Esa.int. 21 May 2010. http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Mars500/SEM64OBDNRF_0.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- ^ "ESA Mars 500 Isolation Study Information Kit". http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/Mars500/ESA_Mars_500InfoKit_31May2010.pdf. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- ^ (Russian) Project Mars-500, Состав экипажа 14-суточной изоляции
- ^ Daily Mail, 'Women excluded from 'Mars mission' crew to prevent sexual tension ruining 105-day voyage', Claire Bates, 2009-03-31.
- ^ Mission accomplished: 105-day Mars mission simulation ends in Moscow, ESA Portal, 2009-07-14
- ^ a b c d e Russia Picks Space-Pod Team for 520-Day Moscow ‘Voyage’ to Mars, Bloomberg Businessweek, 2010-05-18
- ^ a b Mars 500: Countdown starts for gruelling mission in Moscow car park, The Guardian, 2010-06-02
- ^ Six Men Get Ready for 520-Day Simulated Mars Trip, ABC News, 2010-05-18
- ^ Romain Charles, ESA – Mars500
- ^ a b Six Men Get Ready for 520-Day Simulated Mars Trip, ABC News, 2010-05-18, p. 2
- ^ a b He married and left on Mars, Russian News Line, 2010-06-03
- ^ Chinese Volunteer Wang Yue, China Manned Space Engineering Office – Mars500
- ^ ESA Mars500 News, ESA – Mars500
- ^ "Call for media: Mars500, welcome back to Earth". ESA, 10 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
External links
- Information at the official site IMBP in Russian (up-to-date, more extensive), and in English
- Information at the official ESA site
- Information on Czech scientific participation in the MARS-500 project
- Official project blog
- News report on the end of project with quality photos (Russian)
- Official illustrated report on the end of the 520-day isolation (English)
- News articles on the project
- Inside the Mars-500 "spaceship", BBC News, 3 March 2008
- Russia continues flight simulation experiments for Mars-500, RIA Novosti, 15 April 2008
- Volunteers flock to space experiment , BBC News, 27 March 2009
- "Cosmonauts" ready for Mars test, BBC News, 22 March 2010
Categories:- Human spaceflight analogs
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