Six Russian volunteers are to get a taste of travelling to Mars, without ever leaving Moscow.
They will be locked up for 500 days in an airtight capsule resembling a spaceship, where they will eat sterile food and breath processed air. The experiment is designed to help scientists better understand the demands of a long-haul space flight, in preparation for future Mars missions. Researchers will start accepting the first applications this week. If supplies run out, there'll be absolutely no asking for a re-fill: the doors of the "space ship" will be sealed for the whole 18 months of the experiment. The mock-up "Mars cruiser" will actually look more like a cross between a standard three-bedroom flat and a stage set for a reality TV show.