OREANDA-NEWS. April 1, 2009. Earlier today, a crew of six, including two ESA-selected participants and four Russians, embarked on a simulated mission to Mars. Although they will not leave the confines of a dedicated isolation facility in Moscow for 105 days, their mission will help prepare for a real human mission to Mars in the future.

At 12:00 CEST (14:00 local time), once all six crewmembers had entered the special habitat at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), the hatch was firmly closed for the last time in 105 days.
Accompanying ESA-selected participants Oliver Knickel and Cyrille Fournier on their simulated journey are four Russian crewmembers: cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Sergei Ryazansky, Alexei Baranov, a doctor, and Alexei Shpakov, a sports physiologist.
 
ESA-selected Mars500 participants Cyrille Fournier and Oliver Knickel.
During their stay in the facility, the crew will experience all aspects of a mission to the Red Planet, including launch, the outward journey, arrival at Mars and, after an excursion to the surface, the long journey home.

Their tasks will be similar to those on a real space mission. They will have to cope with simulated emergencies, maybe even real emergencies. Communication delays of as much as 20 minutes each way will not make life any easier.
  
The crewmembers will act as subjects in scientific investigations to assess the effect that isolation has on various psychological and physiological aspects, such as stress, hormone regulation and immunity, sleep quality, mood and the effectiveness of dietary supplements.
  
The 105-day study precedes a full simulation of a mission to Mars, due to start late in 2009. This will see another six-member crew sealed in the same chamber to experience a complete 520-day Mars mission simulation.

Both studies are part of the Mars500 programme conducted by ESA and the Russian IBMP, with Roscosmos funding.