In a simulation drill at Paris, a crew of six will soon initiate a simulated mission to Mars. The program includes an interplanetary spaceship, Mars Lander and Martian landscape. The test called the Mars500 experiment is of human endurance.

The objective of the mission is to mimic the supposed happenings in Mars whilst staying on Earth.

The mission, being conducted by Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), will go on for an arduous 520 days divided in to 250 days for the trip to Mars, 30 days on the surface and 240 days for the return journey. It involves an active participation of ESA as part of its European Programme for Life and Physical Sciences (ELIPS), which guides the future human missions to Moon and Mars.

During the mission, the crew members will totally be isolated and they will have an access to limited consumables and communications. In fact the communication will only be through the Internet with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay. The delay, which is reinforced, imitates the real-time situation, which occurs due to the distance between the spacecraft and Earth.