NASA Seeks Volunteers for Yearlong Simulated Mission to Moon, Mars NASA is launching a recruitment drive for volunteers to participate in a groundbreaking yearlong simulation of a mission to the Moon and Mars. The initiative, set to begin no earlier than August 2027 at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, will involve participants living and working in isolation and confinement to mimic the challenges of interplanetary travel and planetary surface operations. The mission aims to test systems, protocols, and human adaptability in environments that closely resemble the conditions astronauts would face during actual deep-space missions. This mission represents the first integrated effort combining elements of NASA’s HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) and CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) programs. Volunteers will first reside in a habitat adapted from HERA, which simulates the confined, isolated environment of a spacecraft traveling from Earth to another celestial body. The transit phase will focus on evaluating how crews manage resource limitations, communication delays, and psychological stress during long-duration space travel. After completing the transit phase, participants will transition to the surface habitat, a one-story, 3D-printed facility designed to replicate the challenges of living and working on a planetary surface. This phase will examine crew performance under conditions such as reduced gravity, limited supplies, and the demands of extravehicular activities. The transit habitat, a two-story, four-port structure, includes a workspace, living area, sleeping quarters, and a hygiene module. It is designed to simulate the confined environment of a spacecraft, with limited space and resources.#nasa #johnson_space_center #hera #chapea #moon_base
