Russia Can Build Base for Future Mars Missions Near Vostochny Cosmodrome

A new training base, where scientific experiments within the framework of preparations for future Mars expeditions will be conducted, can be built near the Vostochny space center in Russia's Far East, a leading research fellow at Institute For Biomedical Problems (IBMP) said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier on Monday, media reported that six US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) volunteers had successfully completed a year-long isolation test to simulate life on Mars.

"The S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia and IBMP are interested in building such a base in the Far East, probably near Vostochny Cosmodrome. Such talks are ongoing. In case of the project's implementation, Russia will have a place for full ground-based training sessions of crews, including for future Mars expeditions," Vadim Gushchin told RIA Novosti on Monday.

Gushchin added that such experiments as the simulation of landing on Mars held in Hawaii by the United States were also desirable in Russia.