Think you could cope with being locked up in 4 windowless, metal, interlocking modules measuring less than 550 cubic metres, 24 hours a day, every day, for nearly 18 months? If that's not bad enough then how about sharing that small space with 5 other people that you barely know.

This is exactly what 6 lucky or brave or foolhardy (depending on your point of view) people will be doing from May this year, all in the name of science. But if mankind really wants to conduct a manned flight to Mars, then this is exactly what will be needed. 

Mars500, a joint project run by the European Space Agency and the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems will simulate the space flight to Mars and back again, keeping everything as true to life as possible. Once locked into the capsule the 'crew' will only have personal contact with each other, plus voice contact with a simulated mission control and occasionally from family members - and even then with a 20 minute delay built in to simulate the real time delay of a Mars mission.

The assignment will begin with all the food on-board needed for the entire duration of the experiment, the diet similar to that of the crew on the International Space Station (ISS) - and they will have to stick to rationing to make it last. The crew will be given tasks to do such as maintenance, daily exercise, and scientific experiments, plus the occasional emergency simulation thrown in for good measure. All team members will be monitored throughout the mission with recordings taken of medical, psychological and physical signs.

All 6 candidates have now been selected with the final composition being 2 Europeans, 1 Chinese, and 3 Russians, and don't you just hope that they all get along well together for the sake of their sanity! 

Click on the ESA link to discover more:
http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Mars500/index.html

From September 2010, students at a British university in the city of Sunderland, County Durham will be able to study a module on Space Law as part of their undergraduate programme.

The module will cover the militarisation, privatisation and commercialisation of space, as well as legal aspects relating to the purchase of lunar land and problems of property damage due to space debris.

With increased numbers of countries participating in Space flight, particularly with the growing interest from commercial ventures, and the advent of Space tourism there are many new areas for the legal profession  to chew on. 

One small example relates to millionaire space tourist Richard Garriott who in 1993 purchased the Lunokhod 2 rover from the Russians, and that is currently parked up on the moon's surface after breaking down there nearly 37 years ago. The rover and it's tracks were recently spotted and photographed by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Mr Garriott commented not long ago on his Facebook site (all be-it very tongue in cheek) that as the only private individual to own something situated on the moon's soil he must at least have some claim to the land beneath it!

Perhaps he has a point . . . . . perhaps not. Not being a lawyer I couldn't say, however it is absolutely food for thought and just one of many new dilemmas that will present themselves over the coming years to the world of international law.   

Yesterday saw the launch of the new UK Space Agency to replace the existing British National Space Centre (BNSC), hoping to promote and boost the UK's multi-billion pound Space industry.

It is currently estimated that around 68,000 people are employed either directly or indirectly in the industry, with an annual input of around 6 billion pounds into the UK economy.

It certainly seems like a step in the right direction and good publicity for the UK Space industry. And hopefully it will help galvanise the industry and manufacturing side in areas such as satellites and telecommunications, at which the UK is among the best. Sadly though the area of Space exploration and manned Space flight seems to be taking a back seat.

From an educational aspect and speaking from many years of personal experience, I know how much the subject of astronauts, the moon and travelling in Space can grip children's imaginations and curiosity. I myself would probably have ended up as a lawyer (as is my family tradition) had I not been inspired at a young age by the stars, astronomy and the TV series 'Lost in Space'!

However, arousing the interest of young people is one thing . . . . . . . converting that curiosity into future generations of scientists and researchers is a completely different problem altogether. Unless money is spent to provide good science education and facilities, and to invest money in community based activities that continue to promote science as a part of everyday life, then all is lost.   

This week saw the successful inaugural 'captive carry' flight of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two from Mojave air & spaceport, and I have to say the pictures looked impressive. 

On a beautiful day with clear blue skies, this strange looking craft, complete with the suspended space ship that will soon carry tourists to the edge of Space, soared effortlessly into the Californian skies and filled my heart with a yearning to be there too.

With a price tag of $200,000 to book a place on a flight and a waiting list already of around two years, I will need to pay my deposit soon! So any millionaires out there that would like to be accompanied on the flight by their very own Space Doctor, please get in touch soon!! 

Hawthorne, California, USA based private Space firm SpaceX has pledged to compete with the Russian Soyuz price tag of around $50 million for taking astronauts on the return trip to the International Space Station, after the shuttles are put into retirement later this year.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell told a US Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation that his company can "guarantee crew flights to the ISS for less than $50 million a seat".

With launch costs estimated to be around $400 million a time and maximum crew space of 7 fully loaded, the figures don't look like they add up at the moment. However, reliance on just one means of transporting crew to the ISS is not ideal, so this option I am sure will be welcomed.

To some people the enormous costs involved in Space exploration, costs that run into billions each year, seem a folly especially at a time when the entire world is in a state of financial turmoil. 

Some may ask if the money is well spent? Whilst others suggest the money would be better spent on more tangible things that help 'ordinary' people.

This is certainly a debate that has some merit - but I wonder if many people think about the less obvious aspect of this huge monetary investment, i.e the Space spin-offs.

Space exploration has required the development of many new technologies related not only to the spacecraft and launch hardware itself, but also to astronaut health & safety, satellite systems, computer software development, communication technology, and much much more. Scientists invent new products and techniques for use in Space, but these innovations very often have applicability to terrestrial Earth. 

NASA are currently developing a volcano alert system using a piece of equipment adapted from a device used to detect hazardous gases on the shuttle launch pad. With around 1500 volcanoes considered to be active in the world, this spin-off technology could ultimately save many thousands of lives if an 'early warning' system could be developed. 

In November 1985 in Columbia, South America over 23,000 people were killed in the town of Armero and surrounding areas when the volcano Nevado del Ruiz erupted. Having witnessed at first hand the devastation caused by such an event whilst working with survivors, I can only say . . . . . it will be money well spent!

Here is the NASA link if you would like to see more details:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/volcanoengineer.html 

According to sources in Russia today, the Russian space program will resume taking tourists back to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2012. 

Flights were suspended last year (the last person Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, going up in September 2009) due to the number of crew on the ISS doubling from 3 to 6 meaning an extra work-load for the Soyuz spacecraft - a work-load that is set to increase later this year when the US shuttles are moth-balled and put into retirement.

The Russians however, are set to build another Soyuz spacecraft this year which should be completed by 2012, bringing the number to 5 in total. Four will be used to transport astronauts at a cost to NASA of $51 million per astronaut, and the 5th will be chartered by US based Space Adventures and used for space tourism.

Extremely deep pockets required though as the fare price paid by Guy Laliberte of $45 million is very likely to go up - so billionaires only need apply! 

Many congratulations to my colleague and friend Joan Vernikos for receiving the 2009 Melbourne W Boynton award from the American Astronautical Society, for her significant contribution to the biomedical aspects of space flight.

The award was established in memory of Dr Boynton, a flight surgeon in the US Army Air Corp in World War II who devoted his career to the development of flight safety and survival. His most notable work was in high altitude parachute experiments, something which ultimately cost him his life when making a test jump from 43,000 feet, in August 1944. For an unknown reason his chute failed to open and he was found dead in a cornfield.

Joan (former Director of Space Life Sciences division, NASA) and I have recently launched a book together,
A Gravidade - Esta Grande Escultora (EdiPUCRS) and are planning to promote it together in São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro later this year. 

An article that appeared at the Guardian online website today brought a smile to my face and confirmed something we women have all known for years.

China is currently choosing it's first female astronauts, picking from the cream of their female jet fighter pilots - ladies in excellent physical condition and with first class flying skills. Interestingly, they are restricting candidates to those who already have children amid concerns about the affect of space flight on their future fertility.

Commenting on this and the selection process, Xu Xianrong, an expert at the Chinese air force general hospital is quoted as saying that women have advantages as astronauts over men because they are. . . . . . more mentally stable, better able to deal with loneliness and have better communication skills!

I have no argument with that!