Throughout, the organisers of the project will use cameras to monitor everything that happens 'on board'. They will gather new information about personal stress levels, emotional well-being and group dynamics.
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a scientist with the satellite manufacturer EADS Astrium, believes that the experiment will be extremely valuable. However, she points out that without the glory of being the first humans to visit the Red Planet, it could be hard for these pioneers to maintain motivation.
"It's far less likely this would be a problem if you really were going to Mars", she says. "But the danger is that because you know you're really in a hangar in Moscow, you start thinking: 'I can't be bothered'."
你有没有经历过长途飞行呢?那么,你是怎么打发时间的呢?或许你观看机上电影或者读书。
如果要飞行520天,那么你读的一定是一本非常非常厚的书。从明天开始,6人即将开始被封入莫斯科郊区的仓库,进行与人类隔绝的生活,时间就是520天。
不,这不是另外一场怪异的真人秀,而是欧洲航天局(European Space Agency)和俄罗斯科学院生物医学问题研究所(Institute of Bio-Medical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences,IBMP)进行的一项实验,目的是测验登陆火星项目的心理影响。
这6名宇航员将在接近真实太空任务的环境中生活。该仓库内550立方米的模拟空间包括一个星际宇宙飞船,一个火星着陆舱和火星风景。