After more than a year cooped up in a habitat designed to simulate Mars conditions, four volunteers concluded their mission called Crew Health and Performance Analog Exploration (CHAPEA). On Saturday, July 6, they departed the “Mars habitat” located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston after completing 378 days of simulation. This event marked the end of the first year-long NASA-led mission to study the viability of life on Mars.
Crew members leave the “Mars habitat” after nearly 400 days
NASA celebrated the crew’s return with a welcoming ceremony broadcast live across multiple platforms, including NASA+, NASA Television and the agency’s social media networks. This event not only celebrated the volunteers’ achievement, but also allowed the public to be part of this historic moment.
The departure of the four crew members from the simulated Mars habitat. Source: NASA Johnson.
About CHAPEA Mission
The CHAPEA mission mission began on June 25, 2023 in a 3D printed habitat. Crew members Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones performed tasks designed to emulate a real Mars mission. These included simulated walks on Mars The participants were able to simulate walking on Mars, growing and harvesting vegetables to supplement their food, and maintaining their equipment and habitat under conditions that simulate the difficulties of a real trip to Mars, such as communication delays and resource limitations.
This type of mission simulates not only the technical operations of a space mission, but also the psychological and social challenges, such as extreme isolation. The data collected during this mission will provide valuable insights for future human expeditions into deep space, including potential trips to Mars .
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Source and photo: NASA