378 Days of Solitude: NASA Volunteers Emerge From Mars Simulator

NASA’s CHAPEA program seeks to prepare astronauts for future missions to the Red Planet and beyond.

Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 11:27 AM ET

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The crew of NASA’s first CHAPEA exercise (from left: Nathan Jones, Anca Selariu, Kelly Haston, and Ross Brockwell) exited their 1,700-square-foot habitat on July 6. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Four NASA volunteers successfully completed a 378-day simulated Mars mission, emerging from the 3D-printed Mars Dune Alpha habitat.
The CHAPEA program aims to gather data on the challenges of long-duration human habitation in Mars-like conditions, including isolation, equipment failures, and limited resources, to prepare for future missions to the Red Planet.
Volunteers lived in the habitat, grew crops, performed simulated "Marswalks," and had their physical and mental health monitored throughout the year.
This completed mission was the first of three planned year-long simulations, with the next group of volunteers scheduled to enter the habitat in spring 2025.

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A knock on the door around dinnertime isn’t always welcome. But for four NASA volunteers, it was the first outside human interaction in over a year.

On Saturday, after 378 days of solitude, crewmembers Anca Selariu, Nathan Jones, Kelly Haston, and Ross Brockwell emerged from Mars Dune Alpha: a 1,700-square-foot simulated Mars habitat part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) program. The yearlong simulation was the first of three planned exercises with human volunteers.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.