The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is currently searching for four people to be a part of their Mars Simulation. Participants would have to live in their Mars Simulator for one whole year at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
The Breakdown
NASA is currently researching and investigating the stakes involved in sending people to Mars. They have created a simulated habitat that mimics the red planet’s environment.
The plan is for there to be three separate missions in total, also known as the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, for short. The CHAPEA Mission 1 began on July 25, 2023, with four volunteers, Ross Brockwell, Kelly Haston, Nathan Jones and Anca Selariu. Each mission lasts exactly one year.
For this second mission, the CHAPEA 2, applications are due on April 2, 2024. According to their website, NASA is searching for four adults between the ages of 30-55. There are various requirements listed for the participants, including that they must have a STEM background.
The four participants of CHAPEA 1 even have a podcast, titled “Houston We Have a Podcast,” where they share their Mars audio logs. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
Why is NASA Simulating Mars?
In a statement on their website, NASA said: “Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.”
One of the main reasons for the CHAPEA missions is to investigate how exactly NASA will be able to one day send humans to Mars. Therefore, scientists have implemented many different obstacles that people could potentially face due to being on the red planet.
The reason why Mars is currently being investigated so heavily is because remnants of water have been found on the planet, which could potentially show signs of life. So NASA is researching and strategizing all they can before they send people to Mars.
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