This Is Only a Test

This is interesting:

Russia is going to simulate a voyage to Mars by confining six cosmonauts for 500 days in a simulated space craft. They will be accompanied by three tons of water and five tons of food, and all the life support equipment they would have on such a voyage. The simulated spacecraft will contain 4500 square feet. Russian officials feel that, if the Russian economy keeps growing, it might be possible to launch a crew to Mars in 2018. Russia is willing to accept a foreign (probably American) crew member for this test.

Now let’s stap some nuclear-powered rockets to that baby and go.