Big Martian Brother?: Details the simulation faced by 4 volunteers trapped in a NASA habitat

And on The door of the house was closed So that none of the four residents could leave the place for more than a year.

The place has a unique feature. It is located at about a 3D printed habitat 158 square meters What NASA built Inside the Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA. To simulate the survival of four astronauts on Mars in the next decade.

The four participants, a team of two scientists, an engineer and a doctor, were booked a week in advance and They will spend a total of 378 days inside Mars Dune Alpha. As part of the first of three planned simulations of the surface of Mars, on a mission called CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analogue).

With cameras everywhere, with constant communication with NASA’s control center, With constant monitoring of vital signsWith physical exercise tests and science work to be developed, the main goal of this kind of Martian big brother is to simulate what it would be like for astronauts to survive on a future colony built on the Red Planet.

Is that this is the most important factor When considering an upcoming manned mission to Mars is the human resource. And this will be the big difference that will happen in the coming years, when people will reach Mars, instead of the robots, rovers and even helicopters that have been sent in recent years.

Standing on the red roof will be the most adventurous journey for man in his history. Reaching another planet would be an enormous challenge that would dwarf reaching the Moon in more than 50 years. but This “move” will not mean a short trip back and forth As it happened with the Apollo 11 crew and the successive crew that the US space program had until Apollo 17 (with the exception of Apollo 13, which never reached our natural satellite due to an accident en route).

Manned flight to Mars adventure for about a year and a half, Add 14 months of round-trip travel and a minimum three-month stay. For this to be possible, in addition to developing the technology that allows it, it is necessary The study of human behavior On a mission that includes this time.

And so, the human factors involved in the missions to Mars are really very important when planning a space mission of this magnitude, which is why NASA has done this series of Programs simulating life on Mars here on Earth.

At the head of the mission is the commander Kelly Haston, A research scientist who studies human diseases. Next to her will be the flight engineer Ross Brockwell and medical officer Nathan Jones. Finally, the science officer Alyssa Shannon An advanced practice nurse, she will complement the crew seeking to set the pace for the next astronauts to live on Mars. Supporting crew members include defense and aerospace engineer Trevor Clark and US Navy microbiologist Anka Celario.

Although there is no oomph that she has red planetthe researchers will simulate human mission challenges to Mars, including resource constraints, equipment downtime, connection delays, and other environmental factors that can be very stressful. Regarding the habitat, it has an area to live in Four small bedrooms, living room, food growing area and infirmary. In addition, there is an outer region that mimics the surface of Mars with red earth all around.

“The simulation will allow us to collect physical and cognitive performance data to provide us with more information about the potential effects of long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance,” CHAPEA Principal Investigator Grace Douglas said in a statement.

“We can really begin to understand how we support them with what we give them, and that’s going to be really important information in making these critical resource decisions,” he told reporters on a previous tour of the habitat.

It comes to A house created with a 3D printer And designed so that four people can live and work as if they would on the red planet. This will test one of the technologies NASA is studying to build habitats on the surface of other planets, as well as on the moon.

Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of habitat-building firm ICON, said in a statement: It is the highest simulated habitat ever built by humans. “Mars Dune Alpha has a very specific purpose: to prepare humans to live on another planet.”

“We wanted to develop the most faithful analogue possible to help humanity’s dream of reaching for the stars. Habitat 3D printing has shown us that building-scale 3D printing is an essential part of humanity’s toolkit on Earth and going to the Moon and Mars to survive.”

Habitat named Mars Dune Alpha, Includes a vertical farm For growing vegetables, a room dedicated to medical procedures, two bathrooms, a Relaxation area with armchairs and TVand different workstations. There is also a door leading to a simulated area of ​​the Martian environment.

The station has a dispensary with hydroponic vegetables, a gym or a treatment room. Light, temperature and noise levels can be programmed to match the daily rhythms of the ‘tenants’ of this unique chalet, and The height of the ceilings varies “to avoid monotony and spatial fatigue”.

On the red sand floor is a weather station, a small greenhouse and a mill, Where volunteers will walk on leashes. There, the crew will perform a simulated spacewalk accompanied by virtual reality.

“We can’t make them go in circles for six hours.jokes Susan Bell, program manager at NASA’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory. He explains that this region will replicate the effort and time required for physical activity on Mars. NASA plans to monitor their physical and mental health in order to better understand humans’ resilience to such prolonged isolation.

Experience and information gathered during this time within the simulation It will help NASA make decisions for the design and planning of a future human mission to Mars. But planning a round trip to Mars is still missing many details. This flight, which will last several years, could take place “in the late 2030s,” according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

As NASA pushes further into the universe, the experience of astronauts will change. In preparation for the real-life challenges of future missions to Mars, NASA will study how highly motivated people respond under the rigors of long-running Earth simulations.

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