The first yearlong simulated mission by NASA very shortly of humans’ existence on Mars under the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog program has just wrapped up. Four volunteer crew members emerged Tuesday from a habitat called Mars Dune Alpha at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, marking the end of a 378-day journey that has tested endurance, ingenuity, and camaraderie.
It simulated a real Mars expedition from June 25, 2023, until its conclusion on July 6, 2024. The crew members, Kelly Haston, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones, and Anca Selariu, were sealed in a habitat of 1,700 square feet, specifically created through 3D printing to match the Martian environment. They grew their food, worked with limited resources, and communicated with Earth with up to 22 minutes of delay.
NASA astronaut and Deputy Director of Flight Operations Kjell Lindgren had welcomed them home, stressing exactly what they’d achieved. “The crew and their families have committed a year of their lives in service to NASA, the country, and humanity’s exploration of space. Your fingerprints are going to be an indelible part of those first footprints on Mars,” he said.
Indeed, success depended directly on the diversified expertise of each member on board. Kelly Haston, mission commander, and research scientist working on human disease models, stressed the importance of teamwork and adaptability. “Each day had new challenges, opportunities for growth,” said Haston. “We had to rely on each other and our training to navigate the challenges we faced,” Haston said.
It was the unique challenges of the mission, that drew on Nathan Jones’ experience in emergency and international medicine as the medical officer of the crew. He underlined the importance of communication, especially since their signals would have an hour-long delay. “Even something as simple as when to communicate is important,” said Jones. He discovered a new passion for art on this mission, surprising himself with his natural talent for sketching.
Anca Selariu, a microbiologist with the U.S. Navy, brought her expertise in viral vaccine discovery and infectious disease research to the mission. She reflected on the interdisciplinary nature of the experience, stating, “Every day seems to be a new revelation about something; about Earth, about art, about humans, about cultures, about the history of life in the universe.”
Mission flight engineer Ross Brockwell was into infrastructure and problem-solving. A structural engineering background made him handy in hacking up creative solutions. “Several things we wanted to do for fun required innovation, one being developing a bracket so we could safely and securely mount our mini-basketball hoop,” Brockwell said.
A major payoff from the CHAPEA mission came in terms of knowledge about the psychological and social dynamics of long-duration space missions. This meant very much to them, and to be able to build comradeship and maintain morale was important. “During this mission, these people have given an incredible richness of shared experiences and conversations,” says Haston.
The data from this first mission will be huge in helping NASA get ahead with future missions to Mars. According to NASA Johnson Space Center’s lead for the behavioral health and performance laboratory, Dr. Suzanne Bell, the mission is “monumental” in testing how humans can live, research, eat, and sleep in a resource-restricted environment for such a long duration.
NASA intends to launch the following CHAPEA mission in spring 2025, while planning is in progress to set the third for 2026. These efforts would continue fitting strategies and technologies to ensure the success of the human expedition to Mars.
Reflecting on the mission’s broader implications, Brockwell emphasized the importance of sustainable living. “We cannot live, dream, create or explore for any significant time frame if we don’t live these principles. But if we do, we can achieve and sustain amazing and inspiring things like exploring other worlds,” he said.
As humankind takes a step closer to the Red Planet, past experiences such as CHAPEA reaffirm the resilience and ingenuity required to realize this dream.