April 20, 2009 3:07 PM PDT
In both simulations, the six-man crews will be closed into a spacecraft-sized structure and will be as isolated from the rest of humanity as if they were actually en route to Mars. For instance, they'll eat from the same menu as astronauts on the International Space Station, or ISS. They'll have direct contact only with each other, and will have voice contact with a control center, along with family and friends--but with a 20-minute delay each way built into those communications.
Photo by ESA - S. Corvaja
Caption by Jonathan Skillings
