NASA is looking for four volunteers to spend a year living in conditions that simulate life on Mars.
This will be the second team for the land-based Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, and the bar is high for the selected volunteers.
It’s not a walk in the park either. Volunteers will be confined to living within a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The habitat, called Mars Dune Alpha, simulates what would be real-life challenges for any crew stationed on Mars, including limited resources, equipment failures and communications delays.
The crew’s tasks include simulated spacewalks, operating robots, maintaining habitat, exercising, and growing crops for food.
Applicants must be healthy U.S. citizens or non-smoking permanent residents, between the ages of 30 and 55, and be fluent in English.
“Applicants must have a strong desire for unique and rewarding adventures and an interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for the first human voyage to Mars,” a NASA statement said.
There are also strict educational requirements, including a master’s degree in a STEM-related field, two years of professional experience in STEM, or a minimum of 100,000 hours of piloting an aircraft.
Applicants who have competed for two years of work toward a STEM doctoral program, a full medical degree, or a test pilot program will also be considered, as will those who have completed military officer training.
NASA said compensation is available for those chosen, but that information is provided during the candidate selection process. The application deadline is April 2.
The first CHAPEA crew is now more than halfway through their mission, reaching day 200 on January 11. Among his accomplishments are growing tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens, and participating in several simulated Mars walks.
Here’s a video of the construction of Mars Dune Alpha:
