A new SIRIUS isolation experiment has started at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBP RAS), as reported by the RIA Novosti online publication.
SIRIUS, or Scientific International Research In Unique terrestrial Station, is an international project whose goal is to study the activities of the crew during the implementation of long-term space missions.
The SIRIUS initiative is being implemented in several phases. So, in 2017, an isolation experiment was conducted that lasted about two weeks. The current lockdown will last four months.
A team of six people will go to the proposed lunar station. The βflightβ program provides for landing on the surface of a natural satellite of our planet, working with a lunar rover, collecting soil samples, etc.
The Russian cosmonaut Yevgeny Tarelkin became the commander of the crew of the experiment that had begun. Daria Zhidova was appointed flight engineer, and Stefania Fedyay was appointed doctor. In addition, the team included test researchers Anastasia Stepanova, Reinhold Povilaitis and Allen Mirkadyrov (both US citizens).
Isolation is carried out on the basis of a specially equipped complex in Moscow. The project program provides for the implementation of about 70 different experiments. The final stage will be the return of the team to Earth.
We also add that in the future it is planned to conduct several more SIRIUS experiments. Their duration will be up to one year.
Source: 3dnews.ru