Test subjects leave Mars simulation after 378 days
Completely isolated from the outside world, two women and two men have completed a NASA experiment on potential life on Mars after living there for over a year. The experiment, the first under the "Chapea" (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) program, took place on a 160 square meter surface in a NASA hangar in Texas.
Four volunteers have concluded a NASA experiment on possible life on Mars, marking the first mission of the "Chapea" program. The two women and two men left the Mars-simulation terrain in Texas after living there for over a year.
"This project allows us to learn important things about complex systems, and it will make the trip to Mars and back much safer," said Julie Kramer, the technical leader of the US space agency NASA. She announced further similar "Chapea" missions for 2025 and 2027. The first experiment was designed for a little over a year: Four people lived 378 days on the NASA terrain. The windowless "Mars Dune Alpha" was created using a 3D printer. The volunteers were not allowed to leave it.
The visibly moved probe astronauts addressed the cameras before they could return to their families. "We can create these things together," said Ross Brockwell, looking forward to a journey to Mars. The NASA experiment was a wonderful experience, Brockwell added. "I really hope that we're getting closer to the reality of seeing people on Mars."
Participants were not astronauts
The "Chapea" program (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) aims to help NASA bring people back to the Moon - and later to Mars - in the future, as per the current plan in the 2030s. With the "Artemis" program, NASA plans to bring the first humans back to the Moon since more than half a century ago - including the first non-white person and the first woman. The long-term goal of "Artemis" is the establishment of a permanent Moon base as a foundation for manned missions to Mars.
The four participants of the first "Chapea" mission were not trained NASA astronauts. Anyone between 30 and 55 years old, who is healthy and motivated, does not smoke, and holds US citizenship or a permanent residence permit, a bachelor's or higher degree in a natural science, and at least 1,000 hours of flight experience could apply. Selected were Brockwell, who organized public construction work in the US state of Virginia, biologist Kelly Haston from San Francisco, physician and three-time father Nathan Jones from the US state of Illinois, and microbiologist Anca Selariu.
Communication with the outside world was limited
The four lived on 160 square meters for a year - with approximately two by three meter sleeping quarters, a living room with a TV and sofas, workstations with computers, and a medical station. They could communicate with their families and friends - but only in "Mars time," which meant that even sending a short SMS often took 22 minutes.
In a small outdoor area, the inhabitants simulated Mars soil experiments. In addition to maintaining the facility, vegetable farming, and sports, they trained on home trainers. "To make it as Mars-realistic as possible, the crew is also confronted with environmental stress factors - for example, limited resources, isolation, and malfunctioning equipment," NASA stated. The study also focused on the astronauts' reactions to psychological stress.
"Chapea" is not the first experiment of its kind. The NASA collected experiences and data in a simulation facility in Hawaii with the "Hi Seas" missions. The same was done by the European, Russian, and Chinese space agencies approximately 15 years ago with the "Mars 500" project. And it will continue: The NASA has two more "Chapea" missions in planning, the next one is scheduled to start in the spring of 2025.
The participants in the NASA experiment were not actual astronauts, but individuals selected based on specific criteria, including health, motivation, and educational background. The data from this mission will contribute to NASA's plans to bring people back to the Moon andeventually to Mars, as part of the "Chapea" program.
NASA is planning additional "Chapea" missions, including one scheduled for 2025, to further investigate the challenges and solutions for long-term space travel, with the ultimate goal of establishing a human presence on Mars.
