Ships often live on as floating restaurants or attractions after their working lives are over.
This was the case for the 11,800-gt Japanese icebreaker Shirase (built 1983), but now the vessel is set for a unique second retirement.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the ship — decommissioned in 2008 — is to be used to simulate conditions in space to help with research into the effects on astronauts of a gruelling trip to Mars.
The project is being run by non-profit organisation Field Assistant.
Part of the vessel will be converted to resemble the sealed environment on a spaceship.
Six crew members, including the captain, an engineer and a journalist, will spend two weeks on board.
There will be no zero gravity, but there will be a time lag of six minutes for communications with mission control.
Freeze-dried food will be on the menu and fresh drinking water limited.
Showers will only be allowed once every three days.
Training will be given in which crew must head to a "rescue ball” 90cm in diameter as if an airlock had been breached.
Missions could start in 2021.
The ship has been moored at Funabashi since 2010 and is owned by the WNI WxBunka Foundation, which has been using it to host events.
