NASA Seals Volunteers Into Mars Habitat for 378 Days

Four volunteers have entered a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston—and barring unforeseen problems, they will remain there for 378 days. The volunteers are not trained astronauts, but their time in the 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot habitat is intended to simulate a real mission to Mars, including problems like equipment failure and communication delays, CBS reports. NASA says the volunteers will carry out activities including simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, and habitat maintenance. Crop growth will be another activity, though most of their meals will be ready-to-eat "space food."

The habitat also includes a 1,200-square foot "sandbox"—with red dirt, of course—to simulate outdoor missions. The volunteers—research scientist Kelly Haston, structural engineer Ross Brockwell, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones, and Navy microbiologist Anca Selariu—were selected from a pool of applicants in April, Gizmodo reports. NASA put out the call for volunteers in 2021, seeking US citizens 30 to 55 years old with flying experience or a master's degree in a science, engineering, or mathematics field. NASA says the simulation will provide vital information that will help the agency "make informed decisions to design and plan for a successful human mission to Mars."

The Houston Chronicle has more on the volunteers, who will be paid $10 per waking hour, up to a maximum of 16 hours a day. Haston, the mission commander, has experience building models of human diseases and she says she's a " fan of rugged endeavors." Jones says he's worried about being away from children Micah, 13, Owen, 11, and Ezra, 8 for a year, but he feels he has the right skills for the simulation—and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Brockwell had previously applied to be an astronaut and he sees the simulation as an "exciting opportunity to participate in the space program and the Mars mission in particular." Selariu trained alongside the others as a backup and joined the primary crew when another volunteer withdrew days before she was due to enter the habitat Sunday. (More NASA stories.)