Crew of NASA Mars Mission Complete Year in Isolation
The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft on July 6 after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth.
The four volunteer crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones entered the 3D-printed habitat on June 25, 2023.
When Haston, the mission commander, came out, she said: "It's actually just so wonderful to be able to say 'hello' to you all."
Jones, a doctor and the mission medical officer, said the 378 days "went by quickly."
They lived and worked inside the 157-square-meter space to simulate a mission to the red planet.
The crew focused on establishing possible conditions for future Mars operations through simulated spacewalks in a small sandy space outside the living area, as well as growing and harvesting vegetables and maintaining the habitat and their equipment.
They also worked through challenges a real Mars crew would be expected to experience including limited resources, isolation and delays in communication of up to 22 minutes with their home planet, NASA said.
Steve Koerner, from the Johnson Space Center, said most of the crew's experiments focused on nutrition and how that affected their performance. The work was "crucial science as we prepare to send people on to the red planet," he said.
"They've been separated from their families, placed on a carefully prescribed meal plan and undergone a lot of observation," Koerner said.
"Mars is our goal," he said, calling the project an important step in America's intent to be a leader in the global space exploration effort.
Anca Selariu, the crew's science officer, said she had been asked many times why there is a fixation on Mars.
"Why go to Mars? Because it's possible," she said. "Because space can unite and bring out the best in us."
