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Monday, September 29, 2003 No Physiological Barriers to Mars Mission Soyuz Spacecraft. Credit: NASA The recent unorthodox crew rotation of the International Space Station, caused by the February 1 Columbia disaster, has resulted in an unplanned demonstration of the human body's ability to tolerate the conditions during a voyage to Mars. Two astronauts spent 161 days in orbit and then successfully landed and secured a Soyuz spacecraft without aid from the ground. Says one of the astronauts, Donald Pettit, "All of this demonstrates human beings have enough physical strength and integrity to go on these long missions, pilot vehicles through operational paths, secure equipment and operate immediately." One of the major hurdles of an interplanetary mission has always been the physical stress the astronauts would be subjected to. (More info: Yahoo! News) @ 20:52 EST