NASA Prepares for Future Mars Missions with Simulated Habitat and Test Subjects

NASA has selected four civilians to participate in the first stage of its Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission, which will test how humans would fare living on Mars. The participants will be locked inside a 1,700-square-foot habitat for roughly a year, with limited food and resources, and will have to contend with equipment failure and other "environmental stressors." The simulation will allow NASA to collect cognitive and physical performance data to give more insight into the potential impacts of long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance.