Slovak to lead simulated international mission to Mars in USA

The Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA) in cooperation with other Slovak institutes will participate in a simulated mission to Mars scheduled to take place in the USA, with the commander of the international crew set to be SOSA chair Michaela Musilová, according to the TASR press agency. She was handpicked by an organisation called Mars Society. "The purpose of the mission is to ascertain whether people could survive in a real colony on Mars under such conditions. What awaits us is a limited amount of food, water, electricity and oxygen. Another factor we have to include is isolation from the rest of the world, as if we were on a different planet," said Musilová at a press conference held at SOSA's Bratislava HQ. The Mars colony consists of small living quarters with a diameter of eight metres, designed for everyday use including sleeping, cooking, workouts and research. There are also laboratories and an observatory. The almost three-week mission will begin on January 13 at Mars Desert Research Station located at high altitude in Utah, USA. During their stay, a crew of six 'Marsonauts' (hailing from Spain, Israel, Australia, France, Ireland and Slovakia) will conduct a number of scientific studies and research projects. Musilová, for instance, will test the durability of natural products intended to bolster the human immune system which were developed and produced in Slovakia by small innovative firms in cooperation with the Research Institute of the National Agricultural and Food Centre.