Volunteers flock to space experiment (BBC) {simulated Mars mission}

[eppur_se_muova]

By Richard Galpin
BBC News, Moscow

What would you be prepared to do for money? For $6,500 (£4,500) a month, to be precise?

How about the following: locking yourself inside a small metal container for three months without any communication with the outside world, with electronic monitors attached to various parts of your body and with frozen baby food and cereal bars for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

To add to the fun you'll have five companions who will do everything possible to stop you trying to escape before the three months are up.

Meanwhile, from a control room outside, a team of scientists will monitor your every move checking for any signs that you are starting to crack up.

And banish all hope of finding solace through alcohol or tobacco. Both are strictly forbidden.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7966731.stm

[MineralMan]

1. How small is the container?

[MineralMan]

2. OK, having read the article and seen the photos,

Sure. I do recommend, though, splitting the crew by gender. 3 of each. Individual E-books, with content chosen by each person.

It's doable, given the right people. Very intimate, though, which is why I recommend staffing such a thing with three well-bonded couples.

[haele]

3. Sounds like standard duty on a Trident submarine...

Should be easy enough to find people willing to do this amongst the many sub sailors around.

Haele

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Exactly. Water at a thousand atmospheres or vacuum, it's pretty much the same ...

no entry or exit without elaborate hardware. And mistakes are quickly lethal.

I can understand the bias in favor of test pilots for launch and reentry, but for missions with long cruising phases they need to start looking at submariners.