NASA is seeking four volunteers to spend a year living on a simulated version of the Moon and Mars without leaving Earth. The American space agency recently opened applications for its next analog mission, the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA), designed to replicate the cramped and isolated conditions of long-duration spaceflight.
Mission Details and Habitats
The volunteers will reside inside two interplanetary environment mockups at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. One is the HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) habitat, a simulated spaceship, and the other is CHAPEA (Crew Health And Performance Exploration Analog), a mock research base. The simulation includes virtual reality spacewalks for the Mars journey and Martian walks with rover operations for surface activities.
The crew will perform scheduled maintenance, conduct scientific experiments, and respond to simulated emergencies. They will also undergo a mandatory social media detox, with limited contact to the outside world and restricted resources.
Duration and Compensation
The mission lasts approximately 366 days in isolation, according to the application form, which asks applicants if they are willing to be confined and isolated for the required periods. Including two weeks of pre-mission screening, six weeks of training, and two weeks of debriefing, the total commitment spans about 15 months.
NASA stated that research volunteers will be reimbursed, though specific salary details were not disclosed. The agency noted that some restrictions apply to NASA civil servants and contractors. For comparison, NASA has previously paid participants upwards of £13,000 to lie in bed for microgravity research.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or green card holders aged 30 to 55, proficient in English, no taller than 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm), with no dietary restrictions, and no history of sleepwalking or use of sleeping aids. They must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. The mission is expected to begin no earlier than August 2027.
Historical Context
This is not the first analog mission. The Mars Society has run simulations in the Utah desert since 2001. A Russian mission in 2010-2011 lasted 520 days, with four of six participants developing sleeping disorders. NASA's Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) has seen teams live in domes for months, requiring spacesuits for outdoor activities. In 2015, six people lived in a 1,000-square-foot dome for eight months, including German physicist Christiane Heinicke, who documented her experience on social media.
Purpose and Goals
The simulations aim to study how well groups cope with cramped quarters and cabin fever. Insights will help keep astronauts safe and mission-ready, according to NASA. Experts have noted that NASA's goal of returning humans to the Moon by 2028 serves as a trial run for a Mars mission, as the Moon is only days away while Mars trips take months and are constrained by orbital windows. The findings will also support NASA's plan to build a sustained human presence on the Moon, including a research outpost, by 2032.
