NASA Recruits 4 for 14-Month Moon-Mars Analog Starting in 2027
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · Jul 21
NASA Recruits 4 for 14-Month Moon-Mars Analog Starting in 2027
3 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · Jul 21
Summary
Four participants and two alternates will be chosen for NASA’s Moon and Mars Exploration Analog, a 14-month simulated mission at Johnson Space Center in Houston beginning no earlier than August 2027.
The program combines NASA’s HERA spacecraft mockup with its CHAPEA Mars habitat to simulate the full trip—outbound flight, surface stay and return—while tracking how crews handle isolation, monotony and other spaceflight stressors.
Crew members will live in a 682-square-foot, two-story spacecraft and later a roughly 1,700-square-foot Mars habitat, with no family visits, limited outdoor access and only simulated rover excursions.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens aged 30 to 55, under 6-foot-2, with a science or engineering degree, no dietary restrictions or sleepwalking history, and must pass physical and psychological screening.
NASA is using the analog to prepare for Artemis-era lunar bases and eventual Mars missions, building on a first 378-day CHAPEA trial and a second one now due to end in October.
What new tech will crews test to handle crises during the 22-minute communication lag with Earth?
How can a simulation replicate the psychological weight of knowing there is no rescue when you are millions of miles from Earth?
Beyond known stressors, what surprising human behaviors does NASA anticipate emerging from a full year of total, uninterrupted isolation?
14 Months to Mars: NASA’s Groundbreaking Moon-Mars Analog Mission and the Future of Deep Space Exploration
Overview
NASA is launching a 14-month Moon-Mars analog mission starting in August 2027 as a crucial step in its long-term strategy to expand human presence beyond Earth. This mission, part of a new era of innovation and exploration, aims to gather vital data and experience that will help prepare for more complex crewed missions to the Moon and, eventually, the first human expeditions to Mars. By simulating deep space conditions, NASA will support its broader objectives and ensure future astronauts are ready for the challenges of living and working off-world.