378 days locked in a Martian simulator will spend

On October 19, four volunteers will cross the door of Mars Dune Alpha, a structure of 160 square meters printed in 3D at the NASA Johnson Space Center. They will not go out again until October 31, 2026. His mission: Living and working as if they were the first settlers of Mars while providing crucial data for future Martian missions.

The four chosen. NASA He has just announced to the crew of its second Chapea mission (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), which will enclose four people for 378 days in a habitat that simulates the expected living conditions on Mars.

After a rigorous selection process, not very different from that of astronaut candidates to support the isolation, NASA has selected a team composed of:

• Commander Ross Elder, US Air Force Testing Pilot with more than 1,800 flight hours
• Medical Officer Ellen Ellis, Colonel of the United States Space Force and an expert in communications systems
• Scientific officer Matthew Montgomery, Hardware Engineering Consultant expert in robotics and agriculture in controlled environments
• Flight engineer James Spicer, technical director in the aerospace and defense industry, satellite communications expert and spacecraft design

In addition, Emily Phillips, captain and pilot of the Navy, and Laura Marie, commercial airline pilot, will act as alternate crew members.

A 3D printed home. Mars Dune Alpha is a Martian habitat simulator made with additive manufacturing In a material called “Lavacrete”. It is the technology that NASA believes that we will use to raise future planetary bases without having to transport the heavy materials of construction from the earth.

The new home of the four participants has everything necessary for their life next year: four private cabins, work stations, a medical position, rest areas, a kitchen and areas for food cultivation. It also has an outer area that simulates the Martian surface, where they will perform simulated space walks for maintenance and exploration tasks.

A year of isolation and lettuce. The Chapea mission is designed to be a faithful reflection of the challenges of a Martian life. The four volunteers will face resource limitations, possible team failures, artificial delays in communications with mission control and, of course, the very real stress that will cause them isolation and confinement.

Their daily tasks include walks simulated by Mars, robotic operations, scientific research and the cultivation of their own food, especially vegetables to complement their diet. As if it were A great scientific brotherNASA will collect cognitive and physical performance data on the crew throughout the confinement to better understand the impacts that will have long -term manned to the health and performance of astronauts.

Second edition. This is the second of the three chape missions scheduled by NASA. The first ended in July 2024. In addition to growing tomatoes and performing their tasks, the first participants declared having maintained high moral thanks to A complete PlayStation 4 Games Library 4. NASA’s conclusion is that leisure and free time will be fundamental aspects in future long -term space explorations.

Images | NASA, Freepik

In Xataka | He cheated his wife, the army and the Government of Ireland: the incredible history of the man who passed through Astronaut