Andrew Yee[_1_]
June 9th 08, 06:03 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
27 May 2008
Mars500 -- European candidates selected
Last week, 32 talented candidates gathered at the European Astronaut Centre
in Cologne, Germany, with the hope of becoming part of a unique study that
will act as a platform for human exploration of the Solar System. The study,
called Mars500, is a ground-based simulation of a mission to Mars and back.
Two of the candidates, together with four Russian volunteers, will be sealed
in an isolation chamber for a total of 105 days starting in October. This is
followed by the full isolation period with another two European candidates,
which lasts for 520 days starting early in 2009.
Part of the chamber simulates the spacecraft that would transport them on
their journey to and from Mars and another part will simulate the landing
module that would transfer them to and from the Martian surface. The Mars500
study is a cooperative project between ESA and the Russian Institute for
Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow and eight of the candidates will be
selected to continue with the study, four primary candidates and four
backup.
Highly qualified
The remaining candidates can consider themselves unique individuals for
coming this far, as they were chosen from a total of more than 5 600
applicants. Between them they have numerous degrees and PhDs covering the
whole spectrum of science and engineering, as well as candidates who are
qualified divers and pilots and/or have military experience and even
candidates that previously worked on human spaceflight missions. These
highly qualified individuals have come from all over Europe in order to take
part in the study (Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, France,
Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland) and are all eager to make a positive impact
on this project if chosen.
"This is a huge human experience, impossible to find anywhere else and I
would be proud to be involved if I was chosen," said a French candidate
currently involved in palliative care and a sports/justice partnership to
try to remove violence from sport. "Having previously been a naval fighter
pilot for 17 years I am well aware of being in close contact with people in
a pressure environment for extended periods, and with a masters degree in
Clinical Psychology I am also very interested in the whole group dynamic of
this project."
These views are typical of the assembled applicants, and are echoed by
Henning Soll, a DLR psychologist and a member of the interview panel for the
selection procedure. "We have seen many motivated, gifted and intelligent
people over the past week and it will be a complex task in choosing the most
suitable candidates for the study. Not only are we looking for robust,
emotionally stable, motivated team workers who are open to other cultures
and can deal with the slightly Spartan lifestyle you would associate with an
actual space mission; we also need to combine different personalities and
talents together in order to create the optimal group for such an extensive
exercise."
There were three aspects to the selection process at the European Astronaut
Centre: A medical examination, which included an ultrasound investigation of
inner organs, was performed in order to determine the health status of the
candidates; a psychological test, also used in the pilot selection process
by DLR; and a personal interview with an expert panel to determine areas
such as the motivation and suitability of each candidate in question.
In addition to Henning Soll, the interview panel consisted of Jennifer
Ngo-Anh, Exploration Life Scientist and ESA's Mars500 Programme Manager,
Prof. Yuri Voronkov responsible for cosmonaut selection at IBMP, Florence
Loustalot from Human Resources at ESA, and Elena Feichtinger, a consultant
at ESA's Moscow Office.
Long journey
"The whole selection process has proceeded extremely well, and it is a
satisfying feeling to take the first steps in a long journey that will
culminate in the future with seeing European astronauts on Mars," said
Jennifer Ngo-Anh. "We still have a long way to go with this initial study.
Once the candidates are chosen, we have to follow up with additional medical
tests at the IBMP facility in Moscow in the summer. This will be followed by
a training period for the candidates in August/September, to prepare them
for the initial isolation period of 105 days also at the IBMP facility,
which underwent major refurbishment for this study. Successful completion of
this will lead up to the full isolation period of 520 days."
The isolation chamber candidates will be sealed inside consists of several
modules. One storage module to store food and other consumables, one module
with living quarters, one module is the medical/research module, and one is
a simulated Mars landing module. During this time the candidates will be
simulating all elements of the Mars mission, travelling to Mars, orbiting
the planet, landing and return to Earth. Obviously there will be no effect
of weightlessness, but the study will help determine key psychological and
physiological effects of being in such an enclosed environment for such an
extended period of time.
Once the candidates are sealed into the isolation chamber they will only
have personal contact with each other for the allotted time though they will
have voice contact with a simulated control centre team, as well as family
and friends as would normally happen in a human spaceflight mission. This is
not something to be taken lightly when considering that the chosen
candidates are in a very good state of health, many with numerous sporting
activities and social interests. Such a change in lifestyle could be the
hardest part to deal with. Most of the candidates interviewed expressed that
they would miss family and friends but that this was a 'natural feeling' and
was tempered by a feeling of pride about the impact of what this study means
for the future.
Isolation
Of course different people value different things. When asked, one of the
German candidates mentioned they he would simply miss being able to 'go into
the city to buy a book' while another said they he would miss 'daylight'.
This same candidate also mentioned that starting such a long period of
isolation was a positive challenge. "At the start we will be strangers but
we should know each other in a few weeks and hopefully we can develop a good
friendship, which will help us out through the good and bad times. As long
as we start with a harmonised team the experience should be fine." As with a
human spaceflight mission, the chosen candidates will be free to take
certain personal items, as well as being supplied with books, movies,
personal laptops and can occupy themselves with physical exercise or self
studies.
Investigations
Scientific investigations will be undertaken to assess the effect that
isolation has on different psychological and physiological aspects. This
will include studies of whether long term space flight leads to stronger
feelings of stress, and whether this might have an effect on performing
professional tasks; the effect of stress on hormone regulation and immunity;
the effect of ambient spectral light on sleep-wake behaviour, sleep quality,
alertness levels and circadian rhythms; the influence of exercise
with/without food supplementation and its implications on mood and
performance; effects of confinement on long-term blood pressure regulation;
association between psychological and cardiac function; and a study of the
level of omega-3 fats in blood of subjects in order to suggest a supplement
that might enhance psychological wellness and counteract depression and mood
instability.
Results of the investigations will be determined through analysing blood,
urine and saliva samples, blood pressure and ECG measurements and the use of
respiration sensors along with performance tests and questionnaires filled
in by the candidates. The knowledge gathered here will provide the basis for
the potential development of pharmacological tools and other techniques to
countermeasure any unwanted side effects during stay in space, especially
during a long-duration mission to Mars.
More information:
Jennifer Ngo-Anh
ESA Mars500 Programme Manager
Tel. +31 71 565 8609
Email: Mars500 @ esa.int
Markus Bauer
ESA Communication Officer for the Directorate of Human Spaceflight,
Microgravity and Exploration
Tel: + 31 71 565 6799
Email: Markus.Bauer @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release area available at
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMT8Q1YUFF_research_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
27 May 2008
Mars500 -- European candidates selected
Last week, 32 talented candidates gathered at the European Astronaut Centre
in Cologne, Germany, with the hope of becoming part of a unique study that
will act as a platform for human exploration of the Solar System. The study,
called Mars500, is a ground-based simulation of a mission to Mars and back.
Two of the candidates, together with four Russian volunteers, will be sealed
in an isolation chamber for a total of 105 days starting in October. This is
followed by the full isolation period with another two European candidates,
which lasts for 520 days starting early in 2009.
Part of the chamber simulates the spacecraft that would transport them on
their journey to and from Mars and another part will simulate the landing
module that would transfer them to and from the Martian surface. The Mars500
study is a cooperative project between ESA and the Russian Institute for
Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow and eight of the candidates will be
selected to continue with the study, four primary candidates and four
backup.
Highly qualified
The remaining candidates can consider themselves unique individuals for
coming this far, as they were chosen from a total of more than 5 600
applicants. Between them they have numerous degrees and PhDs covering the
whole spectrum of science and engineering, as well as candidates who are
qualified divers and pilots and/or have military experience and even
candidates that previously worked on human spaceflight missions. These
highly qualified individuals have come from all over Europe in order to take
part in the study (Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, France,
Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland) and are all eager to make a positive impact
on this project if chosen.
"This is a huge human experience, impossible to find anywhere else and I
would be proud to be involved if I was chosen," said a French candidate
currently involved in palliative care and a sports/justice partnership to
try to remove violence from sport. "Having previously been a naval fighter
pilot for 17 years I am well aware of being in close contact with people in
a pressure environment for extended periods, and with a masters degree in
Clinical Psychology I am also very interested in the whole group dynamic of
this project."
These views are typical of the assembled applicants, and are echoed by
Henning Soll, a DLR psychologist and a member of the interview panel for the
selection procedure. "We have seen many motivated, gifted and intelligent
people over the past week and it will be a complex task in choosing the most
suitable candidates for the study. Not only are we looking for robust,
emotionally stable, motivated team workers who are open to other cultures
and can deal with the slightly Spartan lifestyle you would associate with an
actual space mission; we also need to combine different personalities and
talents together in order to create the optimal group for such an extensive
exercise."
There were three aspects to the selection process at the European Astronaut
Centre: A medical examination, which included an ultrasound investigation of
inner organs, was performed in order to determine the health status of the
candidates; a psychological test, also used in the pilot selection process
by DLR; and a personal interview with an expert panel to determine areas
such as the motivation and suitability of each candidate in question.
In addition to Henning Soll, the interview panel consisted of Jennifer
Ngo-Anh, Exploration Life Scientist and ESA's Mars500 Programme Manager,
Prof. Yuri Voronkov responsible for cosmonaut selection at IBMP, Florence
Loustalot from Human Resources at ESA, and Elena Feichtinger, a consultant
at ESA's Moscow Office.
Long journey
"The whole selection process has proceeded extremely well, and it is a
satisfying feeling to take the first steps in a long journey that will
culminate in the future with seeing European astronauts on Mars," said
Jennifer Ngo-Anh. "We still have a long way to go with this initial study.
Once the candidates are chosen, we have to follow up with additional medical
tests at the IBMP facility in Moscow in the summer. This will be followed by
a training period for the candidates in August/September, to prepare them
for the initial isolation period of 105 days also at the IBMP facility,
which underwent major refurbishment for this study. Successful completion of
this will lead up to the full isolation period of 520 days."
The isolation chamber candidates will be sealed inside consists of several
modules. One storage module to store food and other consumables, one module
with living quarters, one module is the medical/research module, and one is
a simulated Mars landing module. During this time the candidates will be
simulating all elements of the Mars mission, travelling to Mars, orbiting
the planet, landing and return to Earth. Obviously there will be no effect
of weightlessness, but the study will help determine key psychological and
physiological effects of being in such an enclosed environment for such an
extended period of time.
Once the candidates are sealed into the isolation chamber they will only
have personal contact with each other for the allotted time though they will
have voice contact with a simulated control centre team, as well as family
and friends as would normally happen in a human spaceflight mission. This is
not something to be taken lightly when considering that the chosen
candidates are in a very good state of health, many with numerous sporting
activities and social interests. Such a change in lifestyle could be the
hardest part to deal with. Most of the candidates interviewed expressed that
they would miss family and friends but that this was a 'natural feeling' and
was tempered by a feeling of pride about the impact of what this study means
for the future.
Isolation
Of course different people value different things. When asked, one of the
German candidates mentioned they he would simply miss being able to 'go into
the city to buy a book' while another said they he would miss 'daylight'.
This same candidate also mentioned that starting such a long period of
isolation was a positive challenge. "At the start we will be strangers but
we should know each other in a few weeks and hopefully we can develop a good
friendship, which will help us out through the good and bad times. As long
as we start with a harmonised team the experience should be fine." As with a
human spaceflight mission, the chosen candidates will be free to take
certain personal items, as well as being supplied with books, movies,
personal laptops and can occupy themselves with physical exercise or self
studies.
Investigations
Scientific investigations will be undertaken to assess the effect that
isolation has on different psychological and physiological aspects. This
will include studies of whether long term space flight leads to stronger
feelings of stress, and whether this might have an effect on performing
professional tasks; the effect of stress on hormone regulation and immunity;
the effect of ambient spectral light on sleep-wake behaviour, sleep quality,
alertness levels and circadian rhythms; the influence of exercise
with/without food supplementation and its implications on mood and
performance; effects of confinement on long-term blood pressure regulation;
association between psychological and cardiac function; and a study of the
level of omega-3 fats in blood of subjects in order to suggest a supplement
that might enhance psychological wellness and counteract depression and mood
instability.
Results of the investigations will be determined through analysing blood,
urine and saliva samples, blood pressure and ECG measurements and the use of
respiration sensors along with performance tests and questionnaires filled
in by the candidates. The knowledge gathered here will provide the basis for
the potential development of pharmacological tools and other techniques to
countermeasure any unwanted side effects during stay in space, especially
during a long-duration mission to Mars.
More information:
Jennifer Ngo-Anh
ESA Mars500 Programme Manager
Tel. +31 71 565 8609
Email: Mars500 @ esa.int
Markus Bauer
ESA Communication Officer for the Directorate of Human Spaceflight,
Microgravity and Exploration
Tel: + 31 71 565 6799
Email: Markus.Bauer @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release area available at
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMT8Q1YUFF_research_1.html ]