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Ended on
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Fortis watch keeps time for astronauts all the way to Mars and back.
A joint European and Russian space agency project is simulating a 520 day round trip from Earth to the red planet and back. Fortis watches will keep time for the mission's six astronauts.
Fortis watches could be the first timepieces on Mars if a manned European mission to the red planet goes ahead in the future.
The German watchmaker is already involved in a pre-mission experiment where a crew of six people are confining themselves to a simulation unit for 520 days - the exact duration of a manned trip to Mars and back.
The experiment, dubbed Mars500, is a test of human endurance that will see the crew living in a mock-up of an interplanetary spaceship for almost 18 months.
Keeping time will be the Limited Edition 2012 Fortis B-42 Black Mars500 - a watch that is the latest in a long line of Fortis timepieces that have travelled to space and back since 1992.
The Mars500 project will mimic a full mission to Mars and back as accurately as possible without actually going there. It will be the first full-duration simulated mission to Mars, starting in a special facility in Moscow next summer.
Without ever leaving earth, the crew will make a 250 day trip to Mars, spend 30 days on a simulated Mars surface and then make the 240 day return journey.
''Mars is the ultimate goal of the global human exploration programme'', said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight.
''We want to make sure that our astronauts are as prepared as possible in the future for the physical and mental demands of long-duration exploration missions, and to develop countermeasures against any adverse effects of such a mission. Mars500 isolation study is a major milestone in this,'' he added.
The sealed isolation facility in which the astronauts will live and work for 18 months includes a simulator of the surface of Mars; a utility module housing a gym, and a greenhouse; a medical unit that includes the kitchen and dining area; a habitable module where the astronauts will live and a simulator module designed to the same specifications as the module that will make the actual landing on Mars in the future.
The multinational six-man crew includes members from France, Italy, Russia and China began their simulated journey to Mars on June 3, and will not reappear until November 5, 2011.
During the isolation period the candidates will be simulating all elements of the Mars mission, travelling to Mars, orbiting the planet, landing and return to Earth.
Although there will be a ground support crew of over 500 people, the team on board will have to be self-reliant, and organise most of their own daily tasks. They will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the health and psychological states of themselves and each other, monitoring and controlling and maintaining systems, including life support, control resource consumption, carry out standard and non-standard cleaning and maintenance, as well as conducting scientific investigations.
Fortis Mars 500
The Fortis Mars 500 is a limited edition timepiece featuring an automatic, 25 jewels Swiss movement. It is available with either a black leather strap with orange stitching or a black rubber strap.
The 42mm watch includes hour, minute, centre-stop-second, and day/date indication. It is waterproof to 200 metres.
Only 2012 units will be made - the year of Fortis' 100th anniversary.
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