NASA Seeks Volunteers for Year-Long Mars Simulation Mission

NASA has extended an invitation for volunteers to join its second Mars simulation mission, CHAPEA 2 (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), which aims to explore crew health and performance over a year-long period.

The mission, set to commence in the spring of 2025, will house four selected crew members in a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat located in Houston.

Applications are now open on the CHAPEA website until April 2, with compensation details yet to be publicly disclosed by NASA.

Designed to replicate the challenging conditions future explorers might face on the Red Planet, the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center features a harsh environment with limited resources.

A crew is currently living and working in this habitat as part of the first CHAPEA mission, which has now surpassed half of its 378-day duration.

Volunteers will be responsible for habitat maintenance, crop cultivation, and other tasks, with a 1,200-square-foot sandbox attached to simulate spacewalks.

Applicants must be US citizens between the ages of 30 and 55, fluent in English, and hold a master's degree in a STEM field, along with at least two years of professional experience or a minimum of 1,000 hours of piloting experience or two years towards a STEM Ph.D. program. Certain professional experiences may also qualify applicants without a master's degree.

CHAPEA 2 is the second of three missions planned by NASA for the program, with the first having started on June 25, 2023.