re: 500 day mock Mars mission - No women?
That seems stupid to me not to include women or at least one woman.
A real life husband and wife maybe. The "Commander and his wife."
How will they handle sexual harassment?
Sexual brooding?
Insubordination?
Infidelity?
Rape?
Fights?
Murder?
Sabotage?
They need to study the sex aspects of a long term close quarters inescapable journey like that.
In a way it's a lot like survivors on an island.
Leaving females out of the study just avoids an issue that must be dealt with sooner or later.