Four scientists, who spent more than a year – 378 days – on a simulated mission to Mars without any other human contact, were greeted with cheers and applause on their return. Before they left, a NASA astronaut knocked loudly three times on an ordinary door and cheerfully called out: “Are you ready to come out?”
Who are those four scientists?
Anca Celariu, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones and team leader Kelly Heston spent the past 378 days inside the “Mars One” habitat in Houston, Texas, as part of NASA’s research on the requirements for future human missions to Mars.
During their isolation, they grew vegetables, conducted simulated “marswalks” and endured a variety of challenges described by NASA as “additional stressors.” These included delays in communications with Earth, limited contact with their families and the psychological stress of isolation and confinement.
“Hello. Actually, it’s really wonderful to be able to say hello to you,” biologist Haston said, laughing.
“I really hope I’m not going to stand here in front of you all and cry,” Jones, an emergency room doctor, said into a microphone — and he almost did so moments later when he spotted his wife in the crowd.
The habitat, named Mars Dune Alpha, is a 3D printed 1,700-square-foot (160-square-meter) facility that includes bedrooms, a gym, common areas and a vertical farm for growing food.
An outdoor area, separated by an airlock, is filled with red sand and is where the team donned suits for their “marswalk”, though it is still covered rather than open air.
“They’ve spent over a year in this habitat, studying important science, much of it around nutrition and how it impacts their performance … as we prepare to send people to the Red Planet,” Steve Koerner, deputy director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, told the crowd.
“I am very grateful.”
The mission is the first in a series of three missions planned by NASA, grouped under the title CHAPEA – Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog.
The one-year mission to simulate life on Mars was conducted in 2015-2016 in a habitat in Hawaii, and although NASA participated, it was not leading it.
Under its Artemis programme, the US plans to send humans back to the Moon to learn how to live there long-term, and help prepare for a journey to Mars in the late 2030s.
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Published: July 07, 2024, 10:36 AM IST
