If being locked up in a cramped capsule for 17 months with five strangers is your idea of a good time, the European Space Agency (ESA) may have a job for you.
ESA is looking for a few good men and women — four, to be exact — with the right qualities for an Earth-bound simulation of a Mars mission that may (or may not) happen a couple of decades from now.
For candidates under 185cm, aged 20 to 50, who speak Russian or English and think prolonged confinement in a tiny space is an interesting challenge, the agency is now accepting applications.
Having a PhD in medicine, biology or engineering is a big plus, the ESA said in a press release.
The 520-day dry run will start next year and follows a similar experiment with a different crew of six at the same Moscow facility earlier this year that lasted only 105 days.
The 550-cubic-metre module aims to replicate the conditions of a manned space voyage to Mars, including a simulated landing on the Martian surface, communication delays of up to 20 minutes and emergencies.
More than 5,600 people applied more than two years ago for the six spots.
The “help wanted” announcement said ESA still needed to fill two places, along with two replacements, in case of illness or accident.
“Selection will be based on education, professional experience, medical fitness and social habits,” ESA said in a statement.
“Potential candidates... will be screened in a process similar to that used in astronaut selection.”
Depending on the conjunction of Earth and Mars, the real mission would consist of around 490 days of travel time there and back, plus a month on the Red Planet.(AFP)
如果和五個陌生人一起被關在一個狹窄的太空艙裡十七個月對你來說，是件愉快的事，那你可以去歐洲太空總署應徵工作。
歐洲太空總署正在徵求幾位優秀的男女（精確地說是四位），參加一項在地球上模擬火星任務的計畫，這項火星任務可能（但不一定會）於數十年後進行。
這項計畫要求應徵者身高在一百八十五公分以下、年齡介於二十到五十歲間、諳俄語或英語，並認為長期待在狹窄空間是一項有趣的挑戰。太空總署目前已開始受理報名。
歐洲太空總署在一份新聞稿中表示，有醫學、生物學或工程學博士學位者佔有很大優勢。
這項為期五百二十天的模擬計畫將於明年開始。今年初曾進行一項類似計畫，由不同的六人小組成員在莫斯科同一機構進行模擬，但僅歷時一百零五天。
這個五百五十立方公尺的太空艙旨在模擬載人航行火星的情境，包括登陸火星表面、長達二十分鐘的通訊延遲，以及各種緊急情況。
兩年多前，超過五千六百人應徵這六個職位。
歐洲太空總署公佈的「招募啟事」指出，仍有兩個空缺和兩個候補名額，以防有人因生病或事故無法到任。
歐洲太空總署在聲明中表示：「我們將以應徵者的教育背景、專業經驗、健康情況和社會習性做為篩選依據。」
「合適的候選人…將接受一項類似太空人篩選的測試。」
真實任務進行的時間取決於地球和火星的會合，任務往返需四百九十天左右，還得在火星上停留一個月的時間。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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