The future of Mars exploration is on the horizon and NASA is recruiting citizen volunteers to help make that future a reality
.NASA is recruiting qualified individuals to participate in a yearlong mission on a simulated version of the Red Planet, the agency announced this week.
The volunteers will live and work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, inside Mars Dune Alpha, a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat.
For the explorers, the adventurers, the people who love science, this is a really unique and incredible opportunity to be able to contribute to science," Suzanne Bell, lead for NASA's Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory at Johnson Space Center, told ABC News.
The mission, which is the second installment of three planned programs from the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), will last 378 days and is set to begin in Spring 2025.
We mimic what we expect for a Mars habitat surface mission," Bell said. "We collect all sorts of data so we can learn how humans can survive and thrive in that circumstance."
The simulated Mars habitat will replicate the challenges of a mission in space. NASA says "resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, and other environmental stressors" will be a part of the mission.
Members of the four-person team can expect "simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop growth," according to the agency.
"Applicants should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding adventures and interest in contributing to NASA's work to prepare for the first human journey to Mars," the agency said in a press release Friday.
The current CHAPEA mission is on its 242nd day out of 378, according to Bell, who notes, "We are learning from this crew and collecting data every day."
BBC News
