In October, the European Space Agency put out the call for Russian-speaking volunteers who were interested in taking part in the (pretend) mission. Romain Charles, from France, and Diego Urbina, a Colombian-Italian, are the first two (pretend) cosmonauts selected for the (pretend) trip, dubbed Mars500.
The crew will be locked in a (pretend) space capsule in Moscow with food and supplies, where they will remain for 18 months. Halfway through the (pretend) journey, some of the crew will make their way into a (pretend) Mars lander and execute a walk on a (pretend) Mars surface. Perhaps there they’ll run into another group of (pretend) cosmonauts who recently set out on their own (pretend) Mars mission.
Fortunately, the Mars500 crew members will be given the option to (pretend) return home at the halfway point if they (really) go crazy. I’d say it’s all but guaranteed. [Fast Company]
Aaron
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 11:54 AMI say boo Kyle, and frown in dissapointment. At your tone.
These poor bastards are going to be put through the same rigorous experience as the (hypothetical) real cosmonauts who travel to Mars at some point in the future. Just without the fame and esteem of the experience.
They’re the canaries down the mine and deserve a teeny bit more respect for it.
Salmonpie
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 3:47 PMWill they have a pretend HAL and one of them will be fed LSD before being sent out into pretend space to explore meaning of our pretend lives? Bit harsh on them tho, would be a bloody boring reality TV show.
JonClarke
Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 7:47 PMThese people are extremely motivated, tough, carefully selected, and highly trained. They are not going to “go crazy”. They are going to pioneer the way to Mars. They deserve more respect than what Kyle van Hemert gves them. I wish them every success. Poyekhali!