NASA crew emerges after 378 days in simulated Mars mission
Four volunteers have emerged from a NASA habitat in Houston after spending 378 days in isolation as part of an experiment designed to prepare astronauts for future missions to Mars.
The crew completed NASA's second Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission on October 31, having entered the 3D-printed habitat at Johnson Space Center on October 19, 2025, Reuters reported.
"It's been a hell of a year - analog astronauts living in captivity of our own free will," said crew medical officer Ellen Ellis after leaving the habitat.
The four-person crew also included mission commander Ross Elder, science officer Matthew Montgomery and flight engineer James Spicer.
Inside the 1,700-square-foot (158-square-meter) habitat, they grew crops in simulated Martian soil, maintained their living quarters and carried out tasks designed to reproduce the challenges of a long-duration space mission.
The experiment also simulated limited resources and communication delays between Mars and Earth, forcing the crew to work more independently.
"These delays require patience, careful planning and greater independence — qualities that will be essential for future astronauts traveling millions of miles from home," said Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche.
The crew will now undergo two weeks of medical assessments and debriefings to help NASA understand how astronauts can remain healthy, productive and connected during extended missions.
NASA hopes to send astronauts to Mars as early as the 2030s, after first returning humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972.
The first CHAPEA crew also spent 378 days in isolation, between 2023 and 2024.
- Share: