A part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project, it was the first of three planned simulations to understand the challenges Mars poses for space explorers. Here is all you need to know.

How was the Mars simulation created?

A 3D printed airlocked habitat of 1,700 sq feet was created and set up at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, dubbed “Mars Dune Alpha”. It included four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a work area, a robot station, a gym, common sandy areas with various instruments, and a vertical farm.

Simulated Martian soil and a backdrop of red, rocky cliffs were provided for an immersive experience. The additional 1,200 sq ft space, adjoining the Mars Dune, Alpha was used for extravehicular activities typically done by astronauts outside their spacecraft.

The crew entered the simulated space on June 25, 2023, and emerged after 378 days. They were put through several scenarios that astronauts could expect on Mars, including conducting spacewalks in suits (called “Marswalks”), growing vegetables, and facing stressors such as communication delays with mission control on Earth, limited resources and prolonged isolation.

What was the mission’s aim?

Steve Koerner, Deputy Director at the Johnson Space Center, called the project a crucial step in America’s space exploration, particularly of Mars. NASA aimed to collect data for insight into “the potential impacts of long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance” and “understand and counter the physical and mental challenges astronauts will face”.

The data will also help the agency prepare for long-term presence on the Moon as part of its Artemis programme, seen as another step towards an expedition to Mars.

On a broader level, NASA has said, “Mars remains our horizon goal for human exploration because it is one of the only other places we know where life may have existed in the solar system. What we learn about the Red Planet will tell us more about our Earth’s past and future, and may help answer whether life exists beyond our home planet.”

Koerner said the first CHAPEA mission focused on nutrition, and the next two are planned for 2025 and 2026. NASA hopes to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s.

Who were the participants in the Mars simulation mission?

The four volunteers included Kelly Haston, the team leader and a research scientist; Anca Selariu, a US Navy microbiologist; Ross Brockwell, a structural engineer; and Nathan Jones, an emergency medicine physician.

NASA shortlisted them after calling for applications from “healthy”, “motivated” US citizens or permanent residents who were “non-smokers”, between the ages of 30 and 55, and proficient in English, to ease communication between crew and mission control. There were also professional criteria such as a minimum of 1,000 hours piloting an aircraft.

As per NASA, the CHAPEA team did not report any major issues during their 378 days of isolation.

What is the habitat like on Mars?

The temperature on Mars ranges between 20 degrees Celsius and -153 degrees Celsius. The planet has a rocky surface with canyons, volcanoes, dry lake beds, and craters, all covered in red dust.

Winds can create dust storms, with tiny ones resembling tornadoes and large ones occasionally enveloping the entire planet. They are visible from Earth using telescopes. It has about one-third the gravity of Earth and the atmosphere is much thinner than Earth’s, containing more than 95% carbon dioxide and less than 1% oxygen.

The planet turns on its axis more slowly than Earth, and being farther from the Sun, takes longer to revolve around the Sun. A day on Mars is 24.6 hours and a year is 687 Earth days long.

What are the other challenges involved in a mission to Mars?

The biggest challenge is the long duration of a Mars mission because even a one-way trip would take six to nine months. Other challenges include logistics for life support, and maintaining supplies and crew health.

Mars’s thin atmosphere also makes it difficult to slow down a spacecraft for a safe and precise landing. Given the distance, communications from and to Earth could have as much as a 20-minute lag, which would be too long in case of real-time help during emergencies.

What are India’s plans for a Mars mission?

ISRO is preparing for astronomy missions and exploratory missions to the Sun, Mars and Venus in the next few years.

In 2014, India tasted success with its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan, becoming the first nation to reach Martian orbit in its first attempt.

The author is an intern with The Indian Express