Triumphant Mars 500 Crew "Returns to Earth"

Spacecraft touches down in same Moscow parking lot it blasted off from

By Sean Kane Posted 11.04.2011 at 3:54 pm 11 Comments

The Mars 500 Crew ESA

Today, the six crew members of the Mars 500 mission have "returned." The six, comprised of three Russians (a surgeon, engineer, and physiologist), an Italian Colombian engineer, a Chinese astronaut instructor, and a French engineer, have lived in a sealed chamber in a Moscow parking lot. Over the course of the 520 day "mission," the crew simulated a trip to Mars, even conducting a mock landing on a artificial Mars landscape, and researchers were able to study the effects of isolation on the human body and mind (the crew broke the record for longest isolation on day 438 in August, besting Mir's Valeri Polyakov).

See the mission's highlights

"Today, after a motionless trip of 520 days, I'm proud to prove, with my international crew mates, that a human journey to the Red Planet is feasible," said French crew member Romain Charles. "We have all acquired a lot of valuable experience that will help in designing and planning future missions to Mars. We're ready to embark on the next spaceship going there."

[Space.com]

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11 Comments

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11/04/11 at 5:12 pm

I thought the Martians would be shorter?

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vt007

11/04/11 at 8:51 pm

"I'm proud to prove [...] that a human journey to the Red Planet is feasible"

I could say it even without an experiment like this ^^ but its always nice to hear it with an official voice ^^

---
bored? lets go mine the stars... ^^

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Starchild_1

11/05/11 at 12:13 am

This is a milestone to human interactive tolerance. We're one foot closer to getting political support to go to mars, yet the other foot's on a banana peel.

" Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." Albert Einstein

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popsicle

11/05/11 at 3:53 am

I think this is a good reference point for future Mars travel from a psychological perspective.

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11/05/11 at 1:08 pm

I adore freedom and individualism.

The man on the left has black shoes, why?

The Asian man stands very straight and correct.

The third man from the left is distracted.
But has really clean shoes.

The forth man from the left looks bored or like
He is thinking of something smutty, why the smirk?

The fifth man from the left has super athletic dirty shoes, and a bearded. How did his shoes get dirty?

The guy farthest to the right has his shirt sleeves rolled up and wears a watch on each wrist. Why in the world 2 watches. I know there must be clocks in the martin simulation module.

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Grunt

11/05/11 at 7:27 pm

USA already has the astronauts with the skill, knowledge, aptitude, experience ready for this mission! What we do not have is a space ship!

HELLO?! !!!!

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prime2011

11/06/11 at 5:51 pm

Hmm interesting, no females. I guess it really was a achievement for the men afterall. Quick get them to the brothel!!

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Gloves_Donahue

11/06/11 at 6:42 pm

Space travel is the most expensive, complex, and dangerous of all man's endeavors. Farting around in a parking lot for a year-and-a-half proves the feasibility of exactly squat.

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extratutorial

11/07/11 at 1:22 am

I feel proud that human can do everything. I belive someday human can live in mars or the moon
musttutor.com/

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johnt007871

11/07/11 at 2:57 pm

Isolation my butt. Check out the thrilling Martian landing..

http://regmedia.co.uk/2011/02/14/mars500_marswalk.jpg

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