For more than a year, four intrepid crew members embarked on NASA’s Mars Dune Alpha simulated mission, living as if they were stationed over 200 million miles away on the Red Planet. This mission, the inaugural installment of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), spanned 378 days and commenced on June 25, 2023, in the Mars simulator.
Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell, and Nathan Jones emerged from the 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to a warm round of applause.
“It’s so wonderful to finally say hello to you all,” CHAPEA commander Haston expressed during the press conference as she stepped out of the habitat.
This program aimed to examine how crew members would adapt to the rigors of a year-long mission, with NASA eyeing Mars missions as early as the 2030s.
“Mars is our goal,” declared Stephen Koerner, deputy director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, during the press conference. “As global interest and capabilities in space exploration grow, America is poised to lead. The completion of the CHAPEA-1 mission is a significant milestone toward this goal.”
Throughout the mission, the crew engaged in a variety of daily tasks, including simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat upkeep, exercise, and crop cultivation.
The crew experienced a Mars-realistic communication delay of up to 22 minutes each way, affecting their interactions with mission control and their friends and families.
With no fresh food deliveries, the team relied on prepackaged, shelf-stable foods and cultivated some crops during the mission. The crop growth system inside the CHAPEA habitat, akin to indoor home gardening systems, supported the growth of leafy greens, herbs, and small fruits.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to live by the principle of using resources no faster than they can be replenished and producing waste no faster than it can be processed back into resources,” said crew member Brockwell during the press conference.
Mars Dune Alpha provided four individual sleeping quarters, with a total interior space of 1,700 square feet. The habitat also included a bathroom and shower area, a kitchen, a living room with furniture, and designated areas for fitness and laundry.
Suzanne Bell, lead for NASA’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory at Johnson Space Center, spoke to ABC News in February while the agency was recruiting for its second mission.
“We replicate what we anticipate for a Mars surface habitat mission,” Bell said. “We gather extensive data to learn how humans can survive and thrive in these conditions.”

The next CHAPEA mission is set for spring 2025, with a third mission expected to start in 2026.
Bell explained that the three missions are designed to mitigate the “anomaly of a particular crew or individuals.”
“We aim to understand how best to support people in these conditions for their health and well-being. We’re beginning to see patterns that could inform future support strategies,” Bell explained.
To qualify for the program, volunteers must be healthy, nonsmoking U.S. citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 30 and 55 and proficient in English.
Candidates must have a master’s degree with STEM qualifications and relevant experience, or at least 1,000 hours piloting an aircraft, or equivalent military experience.
“I’ve often been asked: Why the fascination with Mars? Why go to Mars?” said crew member Selariu after the mission concluded. “Because it’s within our reach. Because space has the power to unite and bring out the best in us. Because it’s a defining step that Earthlings will take to light the way for future generations.”
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