NASA has issued a call for volunteers to participate in its second yearlong simulated Mars mission, the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog.
The selected crew members, four in total, will reside in a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat in Houston for the duration of the mission, set to commence in spring 2025.
Applications for participation in CHAPEA 2 are being accepted on the official website until April 2. While the mission is a paid opportunity, the compensation details have not been publicly disclosed by NASA.
The Mars Dune Alpha habitat, located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, is designed to replicate the challenging conditions and limited resources that future explorers may face on the red planet. A current crew is already residing there as part of the first CHAPEA mission, which is over halfway through its 378-day assignment.
Volunteers for CHAPEA 2 will engage in various tasks, including habitat maintenance and crop cultivation. The habitat is equipped with a 1,200-square-foot sandbox for simulated spacewalks.
Applicants must meet specific criteria, including being a U.S. citizen aged 30-55, proficient in English, and holding a master’s degree in a STEM field, along with at least two years of professional experience or a minimum of one thousand hours of piloting an aircraft.
Alternatively, applicants can qualify with two years of progress in a STEM doctoral program. Certain types of professional experience may also allow candidates without a master’s degree to be considered. CHAPEA 2 is the second mission in a series of three planned by NASA, with the first mission commencing on June 25, 2023.
