NASA has embarked on an unprecedented mission by selecting four volunteers to live in a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston for the next 378 days.
These individuals will experience challenges and conditions similar to what astronauts would face during a real-life space mission to Mars.
The Chosen Volunteers Simulating Life On Mars
The primary objective of this mission is to gather valuable data on how humans adapt and perform in an environment that mimics the red planet.
NASA carefully chose the four participants from a pool of approximately 4,000 applicants.
Leading the crew is research scientist Kelly Haston, who will serve as the commander of the mission.
Joining him are structural engineer Ross Brockwell as the flight engineer, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones as the medical officer, and US Navy microbiologist Anca Selariu as the science officer.
While they may not have astronaut training, their diverse backgrounds, and expertise make them valuable contributors to the mission’s success.
The Mars simulation mission is part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, which comprises three planned ground missions of one-year Mars surface simulations.
Over the course of the next year, the volunteers will encounter planned and unplanned challenges meant to simulate the harsh conditions of living on Mars.
These challenges include resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, and various environmental stressors.
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Challenges, Activities, And Communication Delays
The crew members will engage in a wide range of mission activities throughout the simulation.
These activities include simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, crop cultivation, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, and exercise routines.
Despite their secluded habitat being smaller than the average US single-family house, it provides essential amenities such as a kitchen, private crew quarters, two bathrooms, and designated areas for medical needs, work, and recreation.
Communication Delays and Mission Control: One of the critical aspects of the simulation is replicating the communication delays that astronauts would encounter while on Mars.
To mimic this, a 24-hour Mission Control will operate outside the habitat. Any communication between the crew members and the outside world will be subjected to a 22-minute delay, similar to what scientists expect during a real Mars mission.
This time delay poses unique challenges as Mission Control will only become aware of problems 22 minutes after they occur.
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