A space odyssey of the mind - BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8711216.stm
Excerpts -
"Six would-be astronauts will this week begin a 520-day mock space voyage to simulate a mission to Mars. How will they cope with the huge psychological pressures?"
....
The biggest dangers, he says, are boredom; crew members forging emotional bonds, positive and negative, which undermine their professionalism; and, worst of all, the group sub-dividing into social cliques.

The way to get round all this this, he says, is clear leadership, explicit divisions of labour and very strict routines.

"Routines and habits are very calming," he adds. "You don't have to think all that much."

(It just occurred to me that these guys will be attempting a mega-epic version of the movie '40 Days and 40 Nights'...)