While space agencies have changed course again to the Moon and then to Mars, the question of how humanity will survive on another planet for a long time remains current.
In order to find an answer to this question, NASA is launching a new program called “Moon and Mars Exploration Simulation”.
This 12-month program, planned to begin at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in August 2027 at the earliest, will closely mimic astronauts’ space travel and living conditions on the surface of an alien planet.
Thanks to this simulation, officials aim to increase human performance in long-term missions and minimize the risks of space flights.
SPACE TRAVEL AND PLANETARY LIFE IN ONE PROJECT
Unlike previous research, this project is the first to combine both the process of travel in space and life on the planet surface.
In the simulation, which will consist of three stages in total, volunteers will first live in a narrow 60 square meter spacecraft model as if they were traveling from Earth to Mars. After this travel phase, where volunteers will have their own small rooms, the second phase will begin.
In this stage, participants will be moved to an 84 square meter facility representing the planet surface. Here they will grow their own crops, monitor their health and rehearse spacewalks in a special sandbox.
In the final stage, the “return” journey to Earth will be recreated with the same spacecraft model.
ADAPTATION TO MARS TIME ZONE AND CHALLENGING CRITERIA
One of the most important research topics of the project will be how volunteers will adapt to the Mars time period.
A day on Mars lasts approximately 40 minutes longer than on Earth, and it is estimated that this small difference can have serious effects on sleep patterns and employee performance in the long term.
People who will participate in this challenging experiment must have the qualifications of an astronaut.
Applicants are required to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in basic sciences such as engineering, biology, physics or mathematics, and be a US citizen or resident between the ages of 30 and 55.
In addition, candidates must pass physical and psychological tests, have no history of sleepwalking and not use sleeping pills.
Dr., who served as a medical officer in NASA’s previous simulation with similar content. Nathan Jones draws attention to the emotional difficulties of living completely isolated from the outside world for a year.
Stating that it was difficult to miss his family, birthdays and special occasions during the mission, Jones states that he understood the value of even the simplest things on Earth much better when the simulation was over.
Saying that fresh food is very limited in space and that they can only eat a few vegetables they grow themselves, the experienced volunteer emphasizes that he understood the value of nature much more deeply after living for a year without seeing sunlight or feeling the wind.
