Why 4 volunteers will stay locked in NASA's virtual Mars simulation for over a year

The Mars habitat will be sealed until July 7, 2024, with the four volunteers. (Image: screengrab from video @ReelNASA/YouTube)

NASA has initiated a simulation study with four volunteers in an ambitious endeavour to pave the way for future human missions to Mars. Research scientist Kelly Haston, structural engineer Ross Brockwell, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones, and US Navy microbiologist Anca Selariu have embarked on an immersive 378-day journey within a 1,700-square-foot facility at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas which imitates the harsh conditions on Mars.

This unprecedented mission, known as the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), aims to provide insights into the challenges of an actual Mars mission, with NASA scientists closely monitoring every aspect of their experience.

Grace Douglas, the principal investigator of the mission, emphasized the significance of this simulation study during a briefing, stating, "The knowledge we gain here will help enable us to send humans to Mars and bring them home safely."

With the Mars Dune Alpha habitat serving as their confined living quarters, the crew will face a plethora of demanding circumstances, mirroring the harsh reality of life on the red planet.

To replicate the essence of Mars, the crew will be exposed to environmental stressors such as limited resources, isolation periods, and equipment failures. However, one factor that the simulation cannot reproduce is the gravity of Mars, which is approximately 38% of Earth's gravity.

To address this, virtual reality technology will be employed, allowing researchers to observe the crew's participation in spacewalks, habitat repairs, and the removal of dust from their spacesuits and solar panels.

Kelly Haston, the designated mission commander, expressed her profound appreciation for being a part of this study, emphasizing that it "exemplifies some of the best qualities of humankind."

Despite not being trained astronauts, Haston praised her crew as an "amazing group of dedicated individuals who feel very passionate about space exploration and science."

The crew has undergone rigorous preparations for this mission, devoting themselves to mastering various mission activities, including collecting geological samples, maintaining personal hygiene, exercising, and addressing medical needs.

Their communication with family and loved ones will be significantly limited during the simulation, adding to the psychological challenges they will encounter.

While the primary objective of the CHAPEA mission is to gather data and assess the crew's physical and psychological responses, it will also provide vital information for NASA's vehicle planners. The insights gained from this study will aid in designing and optimizing spacecraft for future human missions to Mars.

As the crew entered the Mars Dune Alpha habitat, they received applause from onlookers. With the habitat officially sealed until July 7, 2024, Grace Douglas enthusiastically declared, "CHAPEA mission one is a go."