In this nicely symbolic photo by Seiji Yoshimoto at the NPO Intercos site, the red planet Mars is visible over the red star of the Kremlin! (Full photo page of Moscow scenes here – there are a lot of high-resolution photos on the one page.) Let’s hope that is a good omen! (As in landing there one day.)
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №677:
10/01/2008/00:02 – The cost of the Mars flight simulation experiment will exceed 15 million dollars
The total cost of the Russian project on the “Mars-500” flight simulation to the Red Planet, which will take place at the site of the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP, Moscow), will exceed 15 million dollars, reported the project leader, the first deputy director of IMBP Victor Baranov. “If some additional expenditures appear, then general expenditures will be increased,” he added.
Among the first unplanned expenditures V. Baranov named was the elimination of some deficiencies and observations, that were revealed in the activities of the experimental complex during the daily technical experiment carried out during November. He also reported that the material reward of volunteers for the participation in the “Mars-500” experiment will compose 50 thousand Euros. This number was announced by the European space agency, which participates in the experiment. “We have an understanding with ESA that the payment for the Russian and European participants must not differ,” said V. Baranov.
He also did not exclude that the basic material reward of the highly professional participants will be above average. According to V. Baranov, there was also discussed the question of encouragement by rewarding those participants who carry out the experiment more honestly. “But this question will be linked with the personal contracts with each of the testers,” the Russian scientist specified.
The Mars flight simulation experiment will be prolonged more than 520 days – precisely this many days will be required in order to fly so far to the planet, to spend 30 days on its surface and then to return. All this time the six testers will be located in the isolated modules, fulfilling the functional duties of participants in the Martian expedition. Two participants in the experiment will be selected from ESA, which signed with the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP) of RAN (Russian Academy of Science) an agreement on participating in the project. Four more will be selected by the IMBP specialists.
“Russia set to develop new launch vehicle despite problems”, RIAN, 11/1. The Angara rocket is supposed to launch from the «Восточный», Eastern space center, but the rocket has yet to be developed.
