Russia wants volunteers for mock Mars mission

Russian scientists are selecting volunteers to be locked in a capsule for 500 days to test plans for a trip to Mars.

the Russians have 2 of the 6 volunteers wanted, and the mock mission will begin in 2006.

the volunteers will spend the 500 days isolated from the outside world, with only a bathroom, a kitchen and a lab being their living space, to test equipment and to make them self sufficient for long periods.


the longest time in space is held by cosmonaut Valery Polyakov at 438 days.

BBC- Russian call for Mars volunteers

I was trying to post it as well, but you are first !!!

Well this could be an interesting experience, I believe... Maybe we could make it as a challenge for some young, healthy and single ATS-ers???

I hope they have at least 2 females with them.

Originally posted by Killak420
I hope they have at least 2 females with them.

"A team of six men will be physically cut off from the outside world to test equipment intended to make them self-sufficient for long periods. "

OUch! Does anyone know what these men will be payed?

How did they come up with the 500 days marker?

I wish i could go to mars. Im young. well 16 but by then i should be old enough. Im healthy, a bit overweight but can still run and jog pretty good.
and i dont care that 500 days is like a year and a half. I want to be the first person on mars. How do i get in on this deal.

Does anyone think Russia is actually gonna compete with the US for a space-race? do they have the funds?

i dont think they do.

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
Does anyone think Russia is actually gonna compete with the US for a space-race? do they have the funds?

Race to where? Mars?

Are future plans are to go to the moon before 2020, Russia's current plans are to the to a Mars moon by 2020. Looks like we have different goals, hence no race.

I wouldn't be all that quick to write them off though. They still do have a lot of experience in the field, and I suspect Russia would be much more prepared to take risks with the mission than the US would.

Originally posted by Kano
I wouldn't be all that quick to write them off though. They still do have a lot of experience in the field, and I suspect Russia would be much more prepared to take risks with the mission than the US would.

Translation: They dont care as much if people die during a mission.

I most definitly have to agree, Kano...

Too bad the US isn't going to race them, that would have been cool...

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
Does anyone think Russia is actually gonna compete with the US for a space-race? do they have the funds?

They can compete with us,and they do have the funds.
The technology for going to mars has been around since the 70's.we just havent put our minds to it,the single largest challenge of going to mars is the amount of physical atrophy that will occur before they get there.and the russians have by far more experience than anyone else about long term space missions.also,they arent as well financed as we are,but they do have a very practical sense when it comes to space.they arent light weights,they know what they are doing.
the only reason they may get there before us is if we continue to drag our feet.we could be on mars in 5 years if it was something we really put our minds on,we could have been on mars not long after the moon missions if we had wanted.we just seemed to lose interest in manned planet exploration after the apollo missions.
IMHO its of the utmost importance to our national pride to get to mars first.USA!!!
Project orion was being planned in the 50's,but was canceled becasue of enviromental concerns,not becasue it was impossible.it was to take us to mars and beyond,to jupiter and saturn.a true space ship designed to cruise the solar system.i can only dream of what our space program would be like if it had been fully developed.....
www.islandone.org...

However gets there first, it will be a great leap for mankind

Yeah it's a pitty how fast they lost interest in space...

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
Yeah it's a pitty how fast they lost interest in space...

You sure about that?

Last time I checked there were a lot of satellites above my head.

The gov'ts didn't lose interest in space, the people did, so the newspapers and mass media just didn't report them.

Surf

Originally posted by surfup

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
Yeah it's a pitty how fast they lost interest in space...

You sure about that?

Last time I checked there were a lot of satellites above my head.

The gov'ts didn't lose interest in space, the people did, so the newspapers and mass media just didn't report them.

Surf

The commercial applications for near space have been heavily explored.
Planetary and manned solar system exploration has been all but forgotten.
landing probes on mars is cool,and we are learning alot,but one human on mars for one hour could learn more than 50 rovers over as many years.
Plus,how cool is that??we have made it to MARS!!!ON MARS!!!!


And if you think about it,manned missions are far more cost effective if you consider the knowledge to cost ratio.Those little rovers are mighty expensive.if were gonna goto mars,and we have the technology,then we might as well go manned.

I really don't think the russians will attempt to go to mars. This is just a commercial endovor They put up six men self contaned (i.e doesn't cost anything apart from the intial setup) A few doctors, shrinks and scientists to monitor them . Then when the U.S wants to setup a base they will be able to buy the reaserch data from the russians (buy which time the reaserach would have gone thought many cycles and the equipment and methods will be extemly refined and very effective.

a year and a half Come on we can do better then that .granted we dont have the enterprize in orbit but im sure we could come up with a built in orbite mutlistaged ship and use the moon serveral times as a sling shot to build up enough speed to cut the trip there down to 6 months or less without any fancy engians .Just plane ould bosters .
at close approch mars comes withing 36million miles . the moon is around 236,000 miles and applo got there in three days wich comes out to right under 3000 miles and hour.
now seeing as we going 36million miles if you can even speed it up to 9000 mph you are going 216,000 miles a day .(one day trip to the moon now.
at this speed mars is only 160 days away 5 months and ten days apx including starting stoping and the curve facter 6 months.
ovesly if you can dobble the 9,000 mph to 18,000 you once again cut the time in half.
Ps the russians must be taking the senice route .as even applo would take slightly less then 500 days . Ps math brings applo at 41million miles after 500 days of travel mars is only 36 million .
now if you built your bosters in orbite lets say the size of spudnike and made 12 2 as back ups 10 being used for the trip there and back .
first boster fires all the energy is now being use to get the ships space speed higher instead of braking earths gravity. Id bet using one and two boster then using the moon as a sling shot and heading back to earth to use it as a sling shot as well you could easly get the ship up to 18,000 mph.
making your trip to mars at just over 3 months and luckly mars has a copple of rocks to reverse the trick.

[edit on 9-12-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

Originally posted by Simcity4Rushour
a year and a half Come on we can do better then that .granted we dont have the enterprize in orbit but im sure we could come up with a built in orbite mutlistaged ship and use the moon serveral times as a sling shot to build up enough speed to cut the trip there down to 6 months or less without any fancy engians .Just plane ould bosters .
at close approch mars comes withing 36million miles . the moon is around 236,000 miles and applo got there in three days wich comes out to right under 3000 miles and hour.
now seeing as we going 36million miles if you can even speed it up to 9000 mph you are going 216,000 miles a day .(one day trip to the moon now.
at this speed mars is only 160 days away 5 months and ten days apx including starting stoping and the curve facter 6 months.
ovesly if you can dobble the 9,000 mph to 18,000 you once again cut the time in half.
Ps the russians must be taking the senice route .as even applo would take slightly less then 500 days . Ps math brings applo at 41million miles after 500 days of travel mars is only 36 million .
now if you built your bosters in orbite lets say the size of spudnike and made 12 2 as back ups 10 being used for the trip there and back .
first boster fires all the energy is now being use to get the ships space speed higher instead of braking earths gravity. Id bet using one and two boster then using the moon as a sling shot and heading back to earth to use it as a sling shot as well you could easly get the ship up to 18,000 mph.
making your trip to mars at just over 3 months and luckly mars has a copple of rocks to reverse the trick.

[edit on 9-12-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

Have you ever thought that the Russians had in mind the return trip as well and the amount of time they would spend on mars and the fact that something might go wrong in space and they might be stuck for an extra 6 months.

I can vertuly grante you if the trip was to take 1.5 years total travling time not including time on planet well most likly fail.
And yes I considered the round trip have you ? lets say taking a good path and a few more days travel to get there 10 days befor mars closest approch that gives you 20 days on planet or you have to stay more then a year as mars gets farther from earth. so you spend 6 months getting there now with a good blow up shelter and a mars buggy you get a vacation from the caben feaver and even tough your in a suit of the shelter you can alest go for a walk AWAY from thoes people your sick of seeing lol.
twenty days will do wonders for the mential health and at the end of this they will once again be parpered to spend 6 months toghter with killing them selfs.
dont think the most SANE person on earth could go a year and a half living in a tin can without going bonkers.And as we know the russians arenot quite sane .lol