Related News
Chinese volunteer starts simulated Mars trip
By Jane Chen |
June 3, 2010, Thursday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
A CHINESE volunteer today started a 520-day simulated trip to Mars that has been organized by Russia.
Wang Yue, 27, a teacher at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, will spend 520 days with five other European peers in total isolation to imitate a manned flight to Mars, today's Legal Evening News reported.
The "flight" includes a 250-day "outward trip," a 30-day "stay on the planet," and a 240-day "return flight." The main goal of the experiment is to see how isolation and space food over a long period affect the physical and mental health of astronauts, the report said.
Another 180 days will be added to the trip if necessary, organizers have said.
Every day, the volunteers will sleep for eight hours, work for eight and have eight hours' leisure time.
They will not have mobile phones or access to the Internet during the mission. There will be a 20-minute delay for simulated contact with Earth.
The crew will be monitored throughout. One of the volunteers is a doctor who will handle medical emergencies.
Except in emergency, no volunteers will be allowed to quit the experiment as the 550-cubic-meter cabin will be sealed.
Wang seems to be in good mood. He didn't have any training days before the trip to relax, Li Yinghui, China's chief engineer in charge of the trip, told Legal Evening News.
Wang told the newspaper that the biggest challenge for the trip is on the psychological side.
"It is a big challenge for a human being to stay in a sealed cabin, isolated from all the familiar things on earth," he said.
He said the volunteers will conduct more than 100 "space experiments" during the trip, with a third of the experiments designed to test the limits of human endurance.
But Wang insisted he is prepared for all the challenges.
Psychologists echoed Wang's concern. Doctor Cui Yonghua from Beijing's Anding Hospital said the volunteers will likely encounter psychological problems such as depression during such a long time in confinement.
The psychological problems may start to affect the participants from the 120th day to 270th day, according to Cui.
Wang Yue, 27, a teacher at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, will spend 520 days with five other European peers in total isolation to imitate a manned flight to Mars, today's Legal Evening News reported.
The "flight" includes a 250-day "outward trip," a 30-day "stay on the planet," and a 240-day "return flight." The main goal of the experiment is to see how isolation and space food over a long period affect the physical and mental health of astronauts, the report said.
Another 180 days will be added to the trip if necessary, organizers have said.
Every day, the volunteers will sleep for eight hours, work for eight and have eight hours' leisure time.
They will not have mobile phones or access to the Internet during the mission. There will be a 20-minute delay for simulated contact with Earth.
The crew will be monitored throughout. One of the volunteers is a doctor who will handle medical emergencies.
Except in emergency, no volunteers will be allowed to quit the experiment as the 550-cubic-meter cabin will be sealed.
Wang seems to be in good mood. He didn't have any training days before the trip to relax, Li Yinghui, China's chief engineer in charge of the trip, told Legal Evening News.
Wang told the newspaper that the biggest challenge for the trip is on the psychological side.
"It is a big challenge for a human being to stay in a sealed cabin, isolated from all the familiar things on earth," he said.
He said the volunteers will conduct more than 100 "space experiments" during the trip, with a third of the experiments designed to test the limits of human endurance.
But Wang insisted he is prepared for all the challenges.
Psychologists echoed Wang's concern. Doctor Cui Yonghua from Beijing's Anding Hospital said the volunteers will likely encounter psychological problems such as depression during such a long time in confinement.
The psychological problems may start to affect the participants from the 120th day to 270th day, according to Cui.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
