The Technodrome Forums - Volunteers wanted for Mars mission

Live in Europe or Canada? Then guess what! You can go to Mars!! The European Space Agency is looking for volunteers to go to Mars. Just as long as you live in Europe or Canada....

Quote:

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) announced they are looking for volunteers to take part in a program that will simulate a 520-day round-trip to Mars.

A crew of six will follow a program designed to simulate a 250-day journey to Mars, a 30-day surface exploration phase and 240 days traveling back to Earth. Half of the crew will move to the facility's martian simulation module and will be closed off from the rest of the facility for the "surface exploration."

The mission is designed to study human psychological, medical and physical capabilities and limitations in space through fundamental and operational research.

Candidates, who have to be residents of one of the ESA Member States -- Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, Sweden or Canada, should be aged 20–50, motivated, in good health and no taller than 6 feet, according to the ESA.

They also need to speak either English and/or Russian, and candidates must have a background and work experience in medicine, biology, life support systems engineering, computer engineering, electronic engineering or mechanical engineering.

Candidates should go to www.esa.int/callmars500 for more information. Completed and signed application forms should be sent to [email protected] by Nov. 5. The program will begin in mid-2010 after a 4-month training session.

In July, a six-man crew in Moscow completed a 105-day simulated space trip that tested their responses in the kind of isolated surroundings they would experience in a manned mission to Mars. The Mars Society has also conducted successful simulated trips to Mars in Colorado.

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/dpp/news...091021_4149603