After a year long voyage, crew of NASA earthbound simulated Mars mission returned

Mars habitat (Representative Image - Canva)

NASA first simulated the Mars mission, under this mission, the crew members spent their time in the Mars-like artificial stimulated alien environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

There were around 4 volunteers who took part and came out on Saturday around 5 p.m. after spending 12 months in that artificial alien environment.

The crew members are Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones. On June 25, 2023, the crew members entered into the stimulation which was a 3D-printed habitat.

The project name was the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog project (CHAPEA) which aims to simulate and study the effects of long-duration space missions on astronauts.

By creating analogue environments that mimic conditions aboard spacecraft, researchers can investigate physical and psychological challenges faced by crew members during extended space travel.

The mission began with the simple "Hello" by the mission commander Haston. She shared her first experience during the mission and said "It's actually just so wonderful to be able to say hello' to you all."

The four-person crew occupied a 17,000-square-foot habitat designed to simulate a mission to Mars, the fourth planet from the sun. This simulation aimed to provide insights into human space travel beyond the moon, a topic of great interest to both scientists and science fiction enthusiasts.

During their mission, the inaugural CHAPEA crew focused on replicating conditions that future Mars explorers might face. They conducted simulated spacewalks, known as "Marswalks," to mimic the experience of working on the Martian surface.

Additionally, they experimented with growing and harvesting vegetables to supplement their food supplies, while also maintaining the habitat and equipment to ensure the sustainability of their operations.

During the stimulation, the crew members were facing real Martian environment situations where they were getting limited resources, and communication for only 22 minutes with the family according to NASA.

NASA has announced plans for two more CHAPEA missions. These future crews will continue performing simulated spacewalks and collecting data on various factors affecting physical and behavioural health and performance during extended space missions.