Russian-Belarusian crew wraps up simulation of year-long lunar mission in Moscow

MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. The SIRIUS-23 (Scientific International Research in Unique terrestrial Station) international ground-based isolation project, simulating a year-long lunar mission, has finished, a TASS correspondent has learned from the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP) at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Since SIRIUS-23 was launched exactly on this date a year ago, a six-member crew from Russia and Belarus have spent 366 days simulating the conditions of a real space mission on board an orbital station and on the Lunar surface.
The project involved simulating a flight beyond low-Earth orbit, including the effects of long-term isolation with restricted communication and expedition resources. Conditions also reflected the intense demands of astronauts’ work, including extravehicular activity, significant physical exertion, and nighttime shifts.
Over the past year, the crew led by Yury Chebotaryov has conducted over 70 experiments, including three to test joint activities involving humans and an anthropomorphic robot. The research also simulated a flight around the Moon to find a site for landing and five surface operations. Also, the docking and unloading of four space freighters was simulated.
Data from the experiments will help find an individual strategy of human body adaptation to long-duration space missions and prepare feasibility study of prevention of long-term isolation effects, the IMBP argues.
The SIRIUS project run by the IMBP and NASA Human Research Program involves specialists from Russia, Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The first phase of the program was held in November 2017, when a maiden crew spent 17 days in isolation. Three more year-long experiments will be carried out by 2028, simulating long-distance space flights.