Scientists brew air mix
2004-12-02 07:20
Moscow - Russian scientists said on Wednesday they have developed an artificial breathing mixture suitable for human habitation on the Moon and Mars.
Use of the oxygen and argon gas compound should protect colonisers against oxygen starvation and also prevent the spread of fires, Boris Pavlov of the Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems told the Itar-Tass news agency.
While proving effective in short-term applications on volunteers, the mix must still undergo prolonged testing, he added.
The research is part of a broader programme at the institute into the effects of long-term travel and habitation in space.
In a separate experiment six volunteers will next year be confined in a container for 500 days to gauge psychological effects of an estimated two-year mission to Mars. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA