Mars500 makes history on return

The record-breaking simulated mission to Mars has ended with smiling faces after 17 months, according to the European Space Agency.

Mars500’s six brave volunteers stepped out of their ‘spacecraft’ today to be welcomed by the waiting scientists – happy that the venture had worked even better than expected.
 
Mars500, the first full-length, high-fidelity simulation of a human mission to our neighbouring planet, started 520 days ago, on 3 June 2010, at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

The international crew were isolated in their interplanetary spacecraft mock-up, faithfully following the phases of a real mission: a long flight to Mars, insertion into orbit around the planet, landing, surface exploration, return to orbit, a monotonous return flight and arrival at Earth.

During the ‘flight’, the crew performed more than 100 experiments, all linked to the problems of long-duration missions in deep space. 

Please click here to view this full news release extract, courtesy of ESA.

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