Mars500: audio and video material for media

Mars500, the first realistic full-duration simulation of a human mission to Mars, will end on 4 November, when the international crew of six ‘arrive back on Earth’ from their 520-day ‘interplanetary voyage’.

The mission began on 3 June 2010 and three of the crewmembers ‘landed’ on Mars last February.

The psychologically harder return trip to Earth will soon be over, and it is already clear that the main outcome of the experiment is human operations and scientific.

The crew has stayed united as a team and always tackled their experiments and routine tasks with great discipline and precision despite the isolation, the artificial communications delay and the tight confines of their spacecraft mock-up.

The Mars500 hatch will be opened on 4 November at 14:00 local time in Moscow (10:00 GMT, 11:00 CET), followed by several days of medical check-ups. A press conference involving the crew will be held on 8 November.

Venue and programme for 8 November event

11:00 Registration of media
12:00 Press conference with Mars500 crew and project team

A detailed programme will be distributed on 8 November.

The venue is 4 Zubovsky Boulevard, Moscow 119021.

Sounds and movies of isolation

European crewmembers Romain Charles and Diego Urbina have recorded their answers to some of the frequently asked questions for use on radio. The files (mp3 format) can be downloaded from here:

– Diego: English – Italian – Spanish
– Romain, "Laugh": English – French
– Romain, "Surprise": English – French
– Romain, "Looking forward to hatch opening": English – French

Some of the videos published on ESA's Mars500 YouTube playlist are also available for downloading on ESA Online videos.

Higher resolution versions for TV stations are available on request.

Media enquires:

Rosita Suenson
Communication Programme Officer for Human Spaceflight
Tel: +31 71 565 3009
Email: Rosita.Suenson@esa.int