Are you absolutely healthy and over 30? Apply to join NASA’s simulated Mars mission

NASA is looking for volunteers who are willing to get trapped in a simulated Martian environment, approximately the size of a two-bedroom apartment, for an entire year.

space agency is now accept application For the second edition of CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), which is scheduled to take place in spring 2025. The last date of application is 2 April.

A crew of four will live and work inside a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot habitat that closely resembles conditions on Mars as part of NASA’s efforts to prepare for human exploration on the Red Planet. The habitat, called Mars Dune Alpha, is located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It has a kitchen, two bathrooms, private bedrooms, a work area and a entertaining area for socializing.

If you are a healthy, motivated, non-smoking US citizen or permanent resident between the ages of 30 and 55, you may have what it takes. Participants are also required to have a master’s degree in a STEM field and two years of professional STEM experience or 1,000 hours of piloting experience.

Before you apply, you should know that this is far from a year-long vacation. Four volunteers will perform different tasks as if on a mission to Mars, including simulated spacewalks, robot operations, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, exercise and crop growth. The crew will also have to deal with Mars-realistic communications delays of up to 22 minutes with ground control.

CHAPEA is designed to monitor crew performance throughout the year to help understand the physical and mental challenges experienced by real astronauts on Mars.

first group of volunteers Entered Mars in June 2023 And sharing their experiences through images depicting everyday life on Mars.

With the goal of creating a long-term human presence on Mars, researchers must consider potential impacts on physical and mental health and behavior. A recent study suggests Only 22 people may be needed to maintain a colony on MarsAnd those Martians must have compatible personalities to ensure a better survival on the Red Planet.

NASA plans to conduct a total of three ground-based Mars analog missions. So if you’re not ready to get comfortable with three strangers on another planet yet, there’s always a next time.

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