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Simulated Mars mission 'lands' back on Earth (isolated for 1.5 years)
BBC ^ | November 4, 2011 | Jonathan Amos

Posted on 11/04/2011 6:00:38 AM PDT by decimon

Six men locked away in steel tubes for a year-and-a-half to simulate a mission to Mars have emerged from isolation.

The Mars500 project, undertaken at a Moscow institute, was intended to find out how the human mind and body would cope on a long-duration spaceflight.

It is a venture that has fascinated all who have followed it around the globe.

The study even saw three of the men carry out a pretend landing on Mars, donning real spacesuits and walking across an enclosed sandy yard.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: mars
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1 posted on 11/04/2011 6:00:44 AM PDT by decimon
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To: SunkenCiv

Tubular dwells ping.


2 posted on 11/04/2011 6:01:23 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon
The crew has now been taken away into quarantine for medical checks.

After spending 1.5 years in isolation, the crew were put immediately into isolation.

3 posted on 11/04/2011 6:10:04 AM PDT by bigheadfred (wogga wogga)
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To: bigheadfred

“Get your stinking paws off of me you damn dirty ape!”


4 posted on 11/04/2011 6:12:25 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: decimon

Psychologically speaking, these men always knew it was a simulation and always knew they were never in any danger.

Other than being able to survive in a tube (which submariners have proven for decades) not much else was accomplished here.


5 posted on 11/04/2011 6:13:03 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi (Cain for President - Because I like the content of his character)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Damn good point, Erik. The six month journey out to Mars would likely be wrought with psychological and mental challenges the likes of which no one has ever seen. Being in a small metal tube hurtling through open space hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth would be one of those nightmares that specOps guys have when they’re thrown into a forest in Texas for 30 days and forced to survive without being captured.

That being said, I think the first trip, regardless of the space agency, should be conducted by elite special operations military personnel to ensure that the grit of an academic or scientist isn’t tested.

I would guess that the first manned mission to Mars would be a simple flyby like they did during Gemini and the early Apollo missions. They have to test, re-test, improve, upgrade, and tweak every little thing to ensure that when we do send civilians, they can handle the trip.


6 posted on 11/04/2011 6:17:20 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: bigheadfred; massgopguy

The experiment was called off when they began downloading The Village People from YouTube.


7 posted on 11/04/2011 6:18:03 AM PDT by decimon
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To: Erik Latranyi

You do have to see what happens to people when internet ping times go from 50 milliseconds to 20 minutes over the mission. Imagine waiting nearly a half hour between hitting F5 to reload a FreeRepublic page and seeing the result.


8 posted on 11/04/2011 6:19:26 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Herman Cain: possibly the escapee most dangerous to the Democrats since Frederick Douglass.)
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To: decimon
was intended to find out how the human mind and body would cope on a long-duration spaceflight.

How much cosmic radiation were they exposed to?

Because that IS the determinant factor in inter-solar system travel. They'd be fried once they leave the loving embrace of earth's Van Allen belts.

9 posted on 11/04/2011 6:19:47 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: Erik Latranyi

“Other than being able to survive in a tube (which submariners have proven for decades)”

1.5 yrs in a submarine?


10 posted on 11/04/2011 6:20:15 AM PDT by Rennes Templar (Cain Train is rollin'!)
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To: decimon

and they learn the economy is still bad, there still is high unemployment and it’s all Bush’s fault.


11 posted on 11/04/2011 6:20:27 AM PDT by Lockbox (`)
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To: decimon

while this is valuable research I think the pychology of knowing they were NOT off the planet affects the outcome.

The people who locked temselves in Biosphere II went kinda nuts

I was there last year- it is an amazing place to see, and one private individual is almost 100% responsible for the place.


12 posted on 11/04/2011 6:22:43 AM PDT by Mr. K (The enemy of my enemy is my candidate.)
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To: decimon; massgopguy

So that quarantine was just so they could each have a visit with the gynecologist?


13 posted on 11/04/2011 6:24:17 AM PDT by bigheadfred (wogga wogga)
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To: rarestia
specOps guys have when they’re thrown into a forest in Texas for 30 days and forced to survive without being captured.

Take some of the longest lasting Occupy kooks from their tents and shoot them up to Mars. Just tell them there are no 1%'ers on Mars.

14 posted on 11/04/2011 6:25:20 AM PDT by Mannaggia l'America
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To: decimon

In other news...

Two of the pseudo-astronauts have announced their engagement to each other, with a March wedding to be scheduled.

Both of the men confirm that neither one is pregnant, and the wedding is the result of true love found while in the isolation tube together.

A third member of the six-man team has agreed, after being asked by the bride-to-be, to be the Maid of Honor.

Another un-named member of the team did reveal that there were some uncomfortable moments in the chamber as the two lovers eventually carried their relationship to the ultimate physical end. Quoted as saying “We were a little embarassed with the lover’s very obvious physical attraction for each other, but the truly bad times were the “cat fights” the two would have over the smallest things. Days on end of petty and sarcastic comments towards each other...the pouty expressions, the moping around, even some tears...all over, for example, the wrong shade of lipstick.”


15 posted on 11/04/2011 6:27:23 AM PDT by moovova (Report my sarcastic, fear-mongering, hate-filled lies to www.AttackWatch.com by clicking HERE.)
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To: rarestia
I would guess that the first manned mission to Mars would be a simple flyby like they did during Gemini and the early Apollo missions.

That would actually be harder than the landing. On a free return orbit you have to wait at Mars for around a year. Waiting in orbit is harder than waiting on the surface where you can use local resources for air and fuel.
16 posted on 11/04/2011 6:32:07 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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To: Rennes Templar
1.5 yrs in a submarine? Just seems like it. Longest underway I did was 74 days. But there were a lot of 6 days out/1 day in but don't go anywhere cause we're getting underway and you've got the duty anyway type of crap too.
17 posted on 11/04/2011 6:33:56 AM PDT by OCCASparky (Steely-eyed killer of the deep.)
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To: GonzoGOP

Oh wow, I didn’t know that. I suppose with the closer proximity of the moon, we never really felt too far away from home.

Yeah, if they had to circle Mars for a year, I’d guess it’d make more sense for them to land and setup camp.

Would I be correct to assume that the return would have to be while Mars is in approach with Earth? How often do Earth and Mars pass each other in orbit? Once a year?


18 posted on 11/04/2011 6:38:25 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: decimon

Must be nice to live in a modern country that can mount a manned space program.


19 posted on 11/04/2011 6:50:25 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: decimon
Rather then send just a crew of men perhaps they could send Lindsay Lohan along and accidentally leave her there.
20 posted on 11/04/2011 6:54:10 AM PDT by dog breath
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