The crew will remain inside the CHAPEA facility, exiting only for Marswalk simulations, which occur within a Mars-like environment directly outside the habitat. These simulated activities involve wearing spacesuits and operating within a red sand landscape, while remaining isolated from the outside world.

Core research focuses on crew health, performance, and adaptation to challenges typical of long-duration Mars missions, including limited resources, isolation, delayed communications of up to 22 minutes, and potential equipment failures. Activities during the mission will include simulated Marswalks, robotic operations, physical exercise, habitat maintenance, and food crop cultivation.

Researchers will monitor how the crew responds to environmental stressors, and study workload management, protocols, and mission planning. All lessons will directly inform NASA's strategies for human health and safety on future Moon and Mars expeditions.

The first CHAPEA mission in the same habitat ended July 6, 2024. The current mission crew was transported to the habitat by NASA's prototype pressurized Space Exploration Vehicle, joined at the beginning by two alternates.

Related Links
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more