Four small rooms, a gym and lots of red sand – on Tuesday the American space agency NASA presented a new building in which life on Mars will be tested on Earth. However, NASA is still in the early stages of preparations for crewed missions to the Red Planet.
As a first step, starting in June, four volunteers will be confined for a year in a converted hangar at NASA’s Human Space Research Center in Houston, Texas, to recreate life on the Red Planet.
Two experiments in the coming years
The main purpose of this first experiment is to test how people deal with such a long period of isolation. This should help NASA estimate what “resources” are needed for future astronauts to survive a Mars mission, says Grace Douglas, who directs the Chapea program responsible for the experiment. This is all the more important because future astronauts can only take a small amount of luggage to Mars. Two more experiments will follow in the coming years.
Mars Dune Alpha offers a 160 square meter vertical farm for growing lettuce, two bathrooms, a medical care room, a relaxation room and several work areas. It was created using 3D printing, a technology Douglas says could potentially be used to build habitats on other planets or the moon.
Stone machine, weather station, greenhouse
A lock leads from the 3D house to a replica of the Martian landscape. The red-sand-covered floor features a weather station, a rock machine, and a small greenhouse—all items astronauts on the Red Planet are likely to use.
The treadmill in the sand, on the other hand, is not necessary on real Mars. The fictional astronauts must walk on it, hanging from harnesses to simulate the red planet’s lower gravity. “We can’t keep them spinning in circles for six hours,” said Suzanne Bell, director of NASA’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory.
NASA is still looking for four volunteers
According to Bell, the four volunteers – according to NASA they have not yet been selected – will simulate longer trips on the treadmill, collecting samples, collecting data and setting up further infrastructure.
However, applicants must meet the standard astronaut criteria – especially in terms of their scientific, technical and mathematical knowledge. During the experiment, the researchers also regularly test how the crew reacts to stressful situations, for example if the water runs out or equipment breaks down.
Manned mission to Mars planned for 2040
NASA is still in the early stages of preparations for manned missions to Mars. The great journey, which would take several years, is not yet in sight; First of all, it concerns the return of man to the moon. According to NASA boss Bill Nelson, he expects a manned mission to the red planet by 2040.
Source: Krone
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