Volunteers Simulate Mission To Mars 237
Hugh Pickens writes "Six volunteers have climbed into a small metal capsule in Moscow as part of a three-month experiment meant to simulate a voyage to Mars. The crew — a German engineer, a French airline pilot, and four Russians — will spend the next 105 days living in a minimally furnished facility erected in a hangar on the outskirts of the Russian capital. The German said, 'I think we are going to learn a lot about each other.' A cosmonaut-in-training who will lead the mission was quoted: 'On the inside, we will have a lack of incoming information, so it's the science of sensory deprivation.' A similar experiment in Moscow virtually collapsed when a multinational team of men and women were allowed to drink alcohol on the eve of the millennium, and simmering tensions between Russian and non-Russian volunteers exploded in a fight for the affections of a female Canadian scientist. Only men are involved this time, and no alcohol. Scientists will keep a constant vigil on the team via cameras erected in each of the facility's three modules. Those who survive more than 100 days will earn a $20,000 reward. The current project is a warm-up for a much more ambitious experiment, scheduled for December, which will see another group of volunteers spending over 500 days in the same conditions. With current technology it is estimated that a return trip to Mars will take at least 18 months." The amazing thing is that 5,600 people applied to be part of the experiment.
Lousy marketing (Score:5, Interesting)
The amazing thing is that 5,600 people applied to be part of the experiment.
I know it's not much to work with, but people won't apply if they don't know about it. They could have gotten an easy 1K more just by posting here.
Re:100 days, $20k !? (Score:1, Interesting)
Just to clarify, in US federal prisons, which detain people for such heinous crimes as questioning federal income tax laws and personal small-amount drug possession, people are often stuck, while in transit, into the SHU (Special Housing Unit) for upwards of months at a time. This is a small single-man cell which usually has two people in it. It is claimed to be a 23-hour lockdown with a 1-hour recreation period per day, which, when permitted, is walking around in a cage only 3 times the size of the cell. In order to even get this 1-hour of something-different, you must be around at 4am when they come around and ask anyone who happens to be awake at that hour; otherwise you don't get it.
After doing over 2 years for pissing off Tom Ridge, I laugh at the idea of a 100-days in a capsule. Child's play.
Try 120 days in a 8x10 room, with some random stranger, with no air freshener.
Re:Hey KDAWSON! Please PROOFREAD your summaries. (Score:2, Interesting)
"will spend the next 105 days living in a minimally furnished facility erected in a hanger on the outskirts of the Russian capital"
I'm wondering if this is the British spelling or did the Telegraph make a mistake?
Problem solved! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Adequate Reward? Please... (Score:3, Interesting)