Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com

Dreams of putting human life on the Red Planet continue in Russia, where 6 volunteers have isolated themselves in a capsule for 105 days to simulate a mission to Mars...

The main goal of the experiment is to test the psychological stability of the participants under confined conditions.

The volunteers, from Russia, France and Germany, will also complete tasks mirroring an actual mission to Mars.

This is video from the BBC.

In what some are calling the ultimate session of big brother, the volunteers will be monitored closely, but are able to walk out of the capsule at any time during the experiment.

The BBC takes a look inside the capsule...

“Whilst on board the six volunteer astronauts will be kept extremely busy. At the moment of course it looks pretty bare and empty but by the time the experiment starts it will be filled with scientific equipment so the astronauts can carry out a whole series of tests and of course they will have to make sure all of the online systems continue to function normally.” (BBC)

Euronews reports that if there is ever an actual mission to Mars, it will have to be a collaborative effort between nations.

“A manned mission to mars would need major cooperation between many countries so it’s highly likely the first mars explorer cruise will probably be international. On their somewhat Spartan home from home, they will experience extreme acceleration and weightlessness, cosmic radiation, and mind numbing long term isolation.” (Euronews)

The New York Times talks to the experiment’s director who says each crewmember must be responsible for his own well-being.

“Working in such conditions requires that a person be able to check himself, evaluate his condition in relation to the crew and in relation to mission control and be able to correct himself...He will be a psychotherapist for himself.” (The New York Times)

UK’s Guardian looks at similar past experiments where psychological complications proved to be harmful to the mission.

“The fact the 105-day "flight" will be a single-sex trip on this occasion may be a blessing. During a similar experiment in 1999 the participants were given vodka to celebrate New Year's Eve: two members then got in a fist fight after one tried to kiss a female volunteer from Canada.” (Guardian)

If the experiment proves to be successful, the next step will be to simulate a 520-day journey to Mars and back. The possibility of an actual mission to Mars is at least 20 years away.

Do you think the volunteers will be able to last the entire experiment? Is it possible to make the trip to Mars?