The prospect of living on other planets, easily achieved in fictional Hollywood productions, isn't so simple for the scientific community. The amount of research and data it takes to accomplish such a feat is staggering. But NASA is taking baby steps, with the announcement of a 2025 Mars simulation mission. The mission is set to begin on October 19, 2025, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. For just over one year, Air Force Major Ross Elder will command a team of three other astronauts, all living and working together in an early preview of human habitation on what we call "The Red Planet."
The mission is dubbed CHAPEA for Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog. It's expected to give NASA some valuable information on what could occur during real-life scenarios on Mars, and the Moon, as well. What happens when a small crew living in tight quarters experiences everything from faulty devices to sporadic communication, all while dealing with very few resources? Can the team successfully adapt, or will they fall apart at the seams?
Despite the outcome, NASA will use the data when planning an eventual Mars mission, provided it can be saved. The more data NASA can gather now, the better they'll be, which is why the Human Research Program is spearheading the Mars simulation. Thanks to the program's work with the International Space Station, NASA already has a better understanding of what space missions can do to the human psyche, as well as the body.