4 volunteers to live in ‘Mars’ for 378 days as part of NASA’s experiment

NASA is set to launch its second year-long Mars surface simulation this October, placing four research volunteers inside a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, US. The mission, part of NASA’s CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) program, will run for 378 days — from October 19, 2025, to October 31, 2026 — and aims to generate critical data for future human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Inside the Mars Dune Alpha habitat, the crew will face simulated challenges including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, and isolation. They will conduct scientific research, grow vegetables, perform simulated Mars walks, and test technologies like diagnostic medical equipment and water dispensers designed for deep space missions.

“The simulation will allow us to collect cognitive and physical performance data to give us more insight into the potential impacts of the resource restrictions and long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance,” said Grace Douglas, CHAPEA principal investigator.

Meet the crew: pilot, engineer, scientist, and space force officer