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Scientists 'Return' After 110 Days in a Space Station Simulator
By Anatoly Zak
Staff Writer
posted: 05:10 pm ET
11 November 1999
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isolation_crew_991111Four scientists emerged Wednesday from a mock space station in Moscow after spending 110 days with only each other for company. The crew, led by a German psychologist, Bernd Johannes from the University of Berlin, was part of an experiment to simulate conditions on board the International Space Station. Since July 23, Johannes, along with three Russians, Igor Nichiporuk, Vladimir Saponkov and Yevgeniy Bobrovnik, lived and worked in a 200-cubic meter chamber called Marsolet, taken from the name of the Russian Mars flier. The experiment took place at the Moscow Institute of Medical and Biological Problems. The Marsolet experiment is part of a program financed by Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency. Scientists also hope to study the interaction between people of different cultures and ethnic origin. During their isolation period, the Marsolets crew worked up to 12 hours a day. The goal of the mission was to see if the life support systems were suitable for the spartan conditions under which astronauts both live and work while in orbit. The Marsolet chamber is connected to a second test chamber called Mir, where another team of four Russian researchers have been conducting similar isolation tests since July 2. The "mock" Mir crew plans to remain in isolation for 240 days. Both the Marsolet and Mir facilities were built in the early 1960s for the Soviet piloted space program. While in the Marsolet and Mir chambers, the researchers conduct various physiological, biochemical, medical and technological experiments.
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