Participants Wanted for Simulated Flight to Mars

If you've got some time to kill, why not spend the next 520 days on a trip to the red planet? Well, a simulated one anyways.

Want to take a trip to Mars without taking your feet off the ground? This is what the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Biomedical Institute are offering six participants in a 520-day long study to examine the effect of a simulated trip to the red planet. While you won't get to experience the sensation of weightlessness or see the Earth from afar, you will get to live in a cramped, hermetically sealed environment for no extra charge. After a four month long training program, just like those real astronauts must complete, participants will endeavor on a 250 day long simulated trip to Mars. After they arrive they will be able to stretch their legs as they explore the planet for 30 days. Then it's another 240 days back home to Earth. Participants will be followed for one year after "returning" to Earth, to asses the potential medical, physical and psychological effects of such a long trip in space. The project follows the successful completion of a similar 105 day precursor study completed in June, and is schedule to begin in mid-2010 after the training program is completed. Applicants must meet the following requirements: -between 20 and 50 years old

-in good health

-maximum 185cm (approximately 6 feet) tall

-speak English or Russian, preferably both

-work experience in medicine, biology, life support systems engineering, computer engineering, electronic engineering or mechanical engineering

-be a citizen of one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, Sweden or Canada Applications are due by November 5th, 2009.