NASA Seeks Volunteers for Year-Long Simulated Mars Mission
NASA is on the lookout for brave volunteers who are willing to spend a full year trapped inside a simulated Martian environment. The space agency is planning its second edition of CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), set to take place in spring 2025. The deadline for applications is April 2.
The mission will involve a four-person crew living and working inside a 3D-printed habitat called the Mars Dune Alpha. This habitat, located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, spans 1,700 square feet and closely resembles the conditions on Mars. It features private bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a work area, and a recreational space for socializing.
If you’re a healthy, motivated, non-smoking U.S. citizen or permanent resident between the ages of 30 and 55, and hold a master’s degree in a STEM field with two years of professional STEM experience or 1,000 hours of piloting experience, then you might have what it takes to be part of this groundbreaking mission.
However, don’t expect this to be a year-long vacation. The volunteers will be tasked with various activities simulating life on Mars, including spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, exercise, and crop growth. They will also experience realistic communication delays of up to 22 minutes with ground control, similar to what astronauts would face on Mars.
The purpose of CHAPEA is to monitor the crew’s performance throughout the year and gain insights into the physical and mental challenges that real astronauts may encounter on Mars. The first crew of volunteers entered the Mars habitat in June 2023 and have been sharing their experiences through images showcasing everyday life on a Mars analog.
Creating a long-term human presence on Mars is NASA’s ultimate goal. To achieve this, researchers must carefully consider the potential impacts on physical and mental health and behavior. A recent study suggested that a colony on Mars could be sustained with just 22 people, emphasizing the importance of selecting individuals with agreeable personalities for better survival.
NASA plans to conduct three ground-based Mars analog missions in total. So, if you’re not ready to embark on this extraordinary journey with three strangers just yet, there will be future opportunities.
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