United States: To participate in an isolation experiment that mimics what it might be like to be by yourself on Mars, NASA is looking for volunteers.
The four chosen volunteers will take part in the agency’s upcoming simulated one-year Mars surface expedition, which is intended to assist in gathering information for NASA’s eventual ambitions to send humans to study the red planet.
NASA is carrying out a Mars experiment for the second time this year. The first one began in June 2023, so the candidates will continue to be isolated for a few more months.
To be launched in the spring of 2025, CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) is the second of three planned ground-based missions.
During the missions, a four-person crew resides and works in a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed base at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Mars Dune Alpha facility is built to mimic the difficulties that the first humans on the planet will have, including a lack of resources, malfunctioning machinery, hiccups in communication, and other unpleasant circumstances.
The second CHAPEA mission is accepting applications through April 2. The actual mission is expected to start around 2025.
Healthy, nonsmoking American citizens between the ages of 30 and 55 who speak English well and have a strong desire for “unique, rewarding adventures” are what they’re seeking for, along with an interest in helping NASA with its preparations for the first-ever human mission to Mars.
A master’s degree in a STEM subject, such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, biology, or physics, is required of crew members. Additionally, they must have 1,000 flight hours or at least two years of professional STEM experience.