‘Martians wanted:’ NASA looking for crew to spend one year locked in Mars simulator
Anyone can move to another city, but who else can say they’ve lived on Mars?
NASA is looking for four lucky people to spend a year living in a simulated version of the Red Planet, enduring its harsh conditions and limited resources as part of a research project.
The crew would be the second of three planned ground-based missions inside the 1,700-square-foot Mars simulation called CHAPEA [Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog], following the inaugural team who are halfway through the first journey.
The 3-D printed planet — called Mars Dune Alpha — is located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, but is designed to feel worlds away, NASA said in its open call titled “Martians wanted.”
The crew will be locked inside the habitat for roughly 365 days and expected to carry out “mission activities,” like collecting geological samples, exercising, and practicing personal hygiene and health care.
Each faux astronaut would be given their own sleeping quarters and would share a kitchen, two bathrooms, a medical station, working spaces and recreation areas.
The mission would not be all fun and games, however — the crew will grapple with minimal contact with their family and loved ones and deal with limits on resources, periods of isolation, and equipment failures.
“The habitat … simulates the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, and other environmental stressors,” NASA said.
“Crew tasks include simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop growth.”
The only limitation the habitat can not simulate is Mars’ gravity, which is about 38% of Earth’s surface gravity.
The mission is scheduled to kick off in Spring 2025, and interested parties have until April 2 to apply.
To qualify, applicants must be a “healthy, motivated” US citizen or permanent resident between the ages of 30 and 55 and either have a master’s degree in a STEM field or one thousand hours of aircraft piloting completed.
Other than free rent, the crew will also be paid for the gig, though NASA did not disclose the salary.
“Applicants should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding adventures and interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for the first human journey to Mars,” NASA said.
The first CHAPEA team, which is six months into their simulated mission, has already provided indispensable information to NASA about life on Mars, including crew health and performance support.
Research scientist Kelly Haston, structural engineer Ross Brockwell, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones and US Navy microbiologist Anca Selariu were locked into the virtual planet in June.
NASA is planning a similar mission, called Artemis, to learn about the moon ahead of plans to send the first woman, person of color and international partner astronaut on a real-life mission.
