An experiment, simulating a flight to the Red planet and back, lasting 520 days, will start this June and last till November 2011.
      
      The experiment, called “Mars-500”, will simulate a manned mission to Mars for 7 volunteers – 2 Europeans, 4 Russians and 1 Chinese citizen.
      
      Previous stage of the experiment was a 105-day terrestrial simulation of an interplanetary flight. Current experiment will lock its participant in a flight imitation facility for over 1.5 years.
      
      The facility includes living modules, and a room, looking like Martian environment, where “crewmembers” will walk in special space suits. Communications with the Earth will have the lag of 40 minutes, like in a real mission.
      
      Source: Science News