Mars mission simulation ends

An international crew of researchers on Friday wrapped up a grueling 520-day simulation of a flight to Mars inside a network of windowless modules at a Moscow space research centre.

An international crew of researchers on Friday wrapped up a grueling 520-day simulation of a flight to Mars inside a network of windowless modules at a Moscow space research centre.

"The crewmembers are in good health," said Anatoly Grigoryev, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"The program of the experiment has been completely fulfilled."

Vitaly Davydov, a deputy head of the Russian space agency, said the experiment will help pave the way for a real Mars mission.