Men emerge from Mars experiment

Six European volunteers have emerged from a simulated space capsule in Moscow after spending more than three months locked inside.
They were part of an experiment into how astronauts might deal with the very cramped conditions and prolonged isolation of a journey to Mars.
The four Russians, a German and a Frenchman seemed none the worse for wear after their "trip".
The capsule, without windows, had never left the ground during the 105 days.

next year another group of volunteers will enter the same cramped capsule and be sealed inside for a daunting 520 days - nearly a year and a half.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Well, goes to show that time is relevant to your perception then.
Makes you wonder why there was no clock? Maybe space travel does not need a clock for everyone to work out when they could/should be doing things.

Just how do you simulate a waking day in space, apart from turning the lights on?

Pretty good experiment though.. can't imagine the wages being too great as a volunteer ..

Don't think I'll sign up for it.. won't be able to post how my 'sock puppet docu-soap' was progresing on ATS if I was in that capsule..

We need to get on with a Mars mission fast, as it is getting farther and farther away. This is a one-way mission, with astronauts dying on the red planet from old age.

The Russians are big on the Mars trip.
They have a big training facility and have mapped out the whole trip.
There is a Russian TV hour in New York Broadcast DTV that devoted
some time to the Mars travel program.
The lander looks like a mobile missile launcher and goes up like
the V2 into position for launch back into orbit of Mars.
Explorers stay in a capsule on a cherry picker with arms that move around.
The weekly show, I assume, covers European topics and had the
German old car by back program similar to one being touted here in
the states. Many Germans can't buy the BMWs, Audies and VWs and
show up in Fiats to get them crunched. There is no resale, all buy back
cars go into the cruncher for metal recovery.
ED: Perhaps the radiation levels on Mars are much safer than the
toasting one would get on the Moon. The recent flights to Mars must
have recorded safe transit levels.

[edit on 7/14/2009 by TeslaandLyne]

Originally posted by Extralien
...Well, goes to show that time is relevant to your perception then.
Makes you wonder why there was no clock? Maybe space travel does not need a clock for everyone to work out when they could/should be doing things...

They never said there was no clock. They simply said they lost track of time. You can still perceive time to pass more slowly (or more quickly) even with a clock and calendar. I think that's what they meant when they said that.

One thing though -- A real mission to Mars will involve being able to leave the habitat and explore Mars for some of that 520-day mission. The 105-day test DOES however test a persons ability to mentally survive the space flights to and from Mars.