> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Ground control to Major Tom
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ground-control-to-major-tom/
- Published: 2007-06-20T15:06:30.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:36:30.000Z
- Author: Jessica Reed
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:23

**by Jessica Reed**

If you fancy going on a Big-brother-like ground-breaking expedition but dislike the cameras, text messages, voting and polemics which come along reality TV, I would like to recommend the [new European Space Agency project](http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMAJPXXV2F%5Findex%5F0.html?ref=opendemocracy.net), which now accepts applications for a simulated trip to Mars. The six lucky (?) applicants will be required to "[spend 17 months in an isolation tank on Earth](http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070619/sc%5Fafp/spacemarseurope%5F070619110956?ref=opendemocracy.net)".

Discussing this exciting annoucement in the office I did not find any volunteers amongst the oD staff, even if Felix Cohen's first reaction was "could I have access to the Internet? I could blog it".

But if you enjoy dehydrated food and think being paid 128 euros per day is worth 528 days of your life, why not? You would be doing this in the name of science. The full program is available for download [here](http://spaceflight.esa.int/users/downloads/ao2007/Mars500%20Call%20for%20Candidates.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net).