Like characters in a sci-fi movie, two astronauts will soon learn what it is like to spend a year orbiting Earth on board the International Space Station (ISS).
An American and a Russian will undertake the mission together to test the physiological and psychological effects of long-term space flight.
The aim is to see how the human body will bear up on future voyages to a distant asteroid or Mars, which might last several months.
We have progressed considerably in our understanding of the human physiology in space
Unlike the residents of many fictional space stations, the two volunteers will not enjoy the benefits of artificial gravity.
Extended periods spent in microgravity are known to cause increased bone and muscle loss, reduced heart and artery function and impaired sensory motor performance. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft will carry Scott Kelly, of the US space agency Nasa, and Mikhail Korniyenko, from the Russian space agency Roscosmos, to the ISS in March. Michael Barratt, from Nasa’s Human Research Programme at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, said: “This will build on the rich experience of long-duration flights, including four flights of a year or more conducted by our Russian colleagues on the Mir station.
“We have progressed considerably in our understanding of the human physiology in space and in countermeasures to preserve bone, muscle and fitness since then.
“The space station programme provides us a robust framework for international collaboration that enables us to realise tremendous returns from such an experience.”
John Charles, chief of the Human Research Programme’s International Science Office, said data from six-month spells in space did not suggest that the human body adjusts to a new adapted state over that period of time.
He added: “This one-year mission opportunity will show if the trends continue as before or if we are approaching any ‘cliffs’ that will require new treatments while providing new insights.”
During the mission, Kelly and Korniyenko will work alongside three European Space Agency astronauts − including British former test pilot Timothy Peake, whose launch is scheduled for December.