The International Space Station is being considered for a shorter ‘Mars' mock mission after a six-man, four-nation crew "arrived" from a 520 day mock mission from "Mars."

According to Sergey Krasnov, the head of human space flight programs for Russia's space agency, an ISS experiment would most likely take place two to three years from now, but no specific date of a real mission to Mars.

The recently concluded 17-month mock Mars mission was the longest isolation experiment ever done to simulate to mission to Mars.

According to Russian space officials, the successful mission could be followed by a shorter simulation in low-Earth orbit.

Sergey Krasnov, the head of human space flight programs for Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said that the next step will be to carry out a "shorter version" of Mars 500 on the International Space Station.

Krasnov said that there was difficulty of recreating absolute isolation on the station, he suggested that a simulation of other Mars 500 elements, such as a Mars-like communications delay between crew and ground control, would be useful in laying the groundwork for space travel beyond low-Earth orbit.

He explained that the experiment would be carried out in microgravity, with greater potential danger and no ability to walk out at any time, so it would be a more realistic simulation of a Mars mission.

But with the recent Mars mission, the possibility that man can go to Mars was demonstrated.

"We are proud today to prove that humans can go to Mars," said Romain Charles, the French participant.