A unique staycation: Looking to “get away” for an extended period? Does a year-long simulated vacation on Mars tickle your fancy? If so, NASA wants to hear from you. The space agency is looking for another batch of participants to live in its simulated Mars colony. The second of three planned simulations here on Earth, CHAPEA (short for Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) is set to begin in the spring of 2025. The goal of the mission is to help NASA achieve a better understanding of what life on Mars will eventually be like for the first human visitors.
NASA is seeking healthy US citizens (or permanent residents) who are between the age of 30 and 55, don’t smoke, and speak English, for what it calls a unique and rewarding adventure. Applicants must also meet certain NASA astronaut criteria, such as having a master’s degree in a STEM field with at least two years of professional experience, or a minimum of 1,000 hours piloting an aircraft.
Selected individuals will live inside a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for one year, and will work as part of a four-person crew.
During their time in the Mars Dune Alpha habitat, participants will experience the same sort of tasks and stressful situations that real astronauts on Mars might one day face including limited resources, communications delays, and equipment failures. Crew members will also be responsible for conducting simulated spacewalks, growing crops, exercising, and maintaining the habitat – again, just as real astronauts would on the Red Planet.
NASA describes the gig as a volunteer program, although the agency does add that compensation for participating in the mission is available (but will be discussed during the candidate screening process).
The first CHAPEA crew is currently more than half way through their year-long mission, having reached the 200-day mark on January 11. That four-person crew entered the habitat on June 25, 2023, and are scheduled to exit on July 6 of this year.
Interested parties have until April 2 to submit their application.
