Life in a Box

The Martian Surface Simulator is one of five locked, interconnected modules that comprise the mission simulation known as Mars500. The 500 refers to the number of days needed for a round-trip spin and a four month stay on Mars. This specific stimulation is taking place in Russia. The crew gets paid 15,000 euros each to be subjects in psychology experiments aimed at understanding the effects confinement in a small, artificial environment can result in. It will take place with a 6 member crew who have to sign confidentiality agreements that say no matter what happens in the Mars500 stimulation, they can't tell anyone else. They do this so going to space seems easy, safe, and admirable. When really, it's irritating and very risky. But they would never tell the public this. During simulations in the past, fights occurred that left "blood on the walls" and one man even kissed a female astronaut "against her will" which was leaked to the press after the stimulation. People got agitated and restless, things happened. It takes the right group of people to be able to survive together, alone for months upon months. This is why they must do extensive training and simulations for years, and the majority of astronauts never make it to outer space, let alone Mars.